Chapter Nine: Rivalry's Flames 3/4

His eyes closed and his hand hovering over the hilt of his Zanpakutō, Itachi concentrated on the spirit energy of the attack group as they battled it out with the Hollows down in the cave. It was hard to get an exact feel for the fight, but his senses had developed enough over the past four years for him to understand that the engagement was an intense one. The spikes in spiritual pressure that he felt indicated that multiple Soul Reapers had activated their Shikais, although Itachi doubted that either of the Captains were among them.

Yoruichi's spiritual pressure has been steady, he thought as he focused on Squad Two's leader, She must be relying purely on skill rather than power. That makes sense; Captains are strong enough that even their Shikais can do a tremendous amount of damage, and given the environment that they're fighting in it would make sense for her to restrain herself to avoid collapsing the caverns.

He wished that he could be down there, both to witness Yoruichi in combat and to fight alongside her, but Itachi understood his role quite well. He was support this round, and since he was still a student he could hardly fault the logic in that decision. Itachi didn't mind being on defense rather than offense, but he looked forward to the day when his Soul Reaper powers would be developed enough to the point that he could engage on the front lines. It wasn't a desire to fight for fighting's sake, but rather so that he could repay Yoruichi's investment in him and prove that her faith had been well placed.

"Looks like we're missing out on quite the fight," said Jiraiya.

Itachi opened his eyes and turned to his friend. "You sense it too?"

Jiraiya nodded. "Yeah… it feels pretty hectic down there. Too bad I can't sense Hollows as well as Soul Reapers, otherwise I'd have a better idea as to what the odds are."

"True," Itachi replied, "It's a lot harder to get a feel for them than it is our fellow Soul Reapers. Hopefully that will change with time as our skills develop."

"It will," said Rija with a smile, "More time in the field will help you refine your ability to detect Hollows. Tracking spirit energy is important, but don't neglect your other senses as well. Every advantage you can get is crucial to survival."

Visaelya folded her arms and tapped her foot impatiently as she stared at the mouth of a nearby cave. "They've been down there for quite some time now. What if they need help?"

"The attack group is led by two Captains," Rija reassured her, "They can handle anything that rears its ugly head down there."

Visaelya sighed. "I do not mean to doubt their abilities. I just don't like waiting up here while the others are down there fighting."

"Part of being a Soul Reaper is accepting the tasks given to you and completing them to the best of your abilities, even if you don't like them," Rija reminded her, "We have our role to play in this operation, and we need to see it done. If individual Soul Reapers disregard their orders simply because they don't like them, then the Thirteen Court Guard Squads would fall apart overnight. You're in the advanced track because you show great promise, Visaelya, but talent does not exempt any of us from the tasks that we are given."

Visaelya nodded. "Of course. I'll keep that in mind… and I will do my part to make sure our mission is a success."

Rija smiled and gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Now that's the right attitude to have! I think you'll do just fine, Visaelya."

Itachi closed his eyes again while the others chatted. Stretching out with the rest of his senses, he concentrated on the opening of the cave again. A few seconds went by before he detected a change in the spirit energy coming from down in the dark. Some of it appeared to have broken away from the main fight.

And it was heading straight towards them.

Itachi's eyes snapped open as he immediately drew his sword. "We're about to have company."

Jiraiya, Rija, and Visaelya wasted no time in unsheathing their blades. Rija stepped forward, her eyes narrowing as she studied the entrance of the cave.

"Hollows," she hissed, "I can't tell how many… shit!"

"What should we do?" asked Visaelya, her voice betraying a hint of nervousness despite her best efforts."

Rija swiftly issued orders to the others. "I'll hold the front. Itachi, take my left flank! Jiraiya, you've got the right! Visaelya, pick whatever spell you can fire off the fastest and unleash it the moment you can see them!"

The three students quickly formed up around the veteran Soul Reaper. Itachi's mind flashed back to his early days as a Shinobi; their current formation reminded him of countless drills with classmates and comrades.

My weapon and powers are different this time around, he mused, but the rest of this feels quite familiar.

Don't get lost on a trip down memory lane, the spirit of his Zanpakutō chided him, We're about to be up to our necks in Hollows.

Itachi had to work to suppress a smirk. If you insist…

There was a slight rumbling in the ground as the enemy drew closer, and the tremors were a sign that the pack of Hollows racing towards them wasn't a small one. Itachi was ready, and he knew Jiraiya was as well, but he wasn't sure if Visaelya was prepared for what was coming their way. She was gifted, but unlike the two former Shinobi or the Fifteenth Seat of Squad Two she had no prior combat experience. This would be a trial by fire, and Itachi could only hope that she had what it took to survive it.

As the first white death masks appeared out of the darkness, Visaelya raised the palm of her right hand and made her incantation. "Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws! Hadō 33: Sōkatsui!"

A blast of blue-white energy ripped forth and slammed into the Hollows at the front of the pack. The impact staggered the group and caused a pileup, and Rija wasted no time in taking advantage of it.

"Hadō 5: Hotaru Bāsuto!" she shouted.

A stream of tiny green energy balls flew forth and hammered the already disoriented Hollow. Rija swept her hand from left to right in an arc, and the barrage of small emerald spheres continued, spreading across the entire group. It was a much more sustained burst than Itachi was capable of maintaining with that spell, and what made it even more impressive to him was the fact that she was doing it without an incantation.

Seated officers really are a cut above the rest, he thought, I'm glad she's on our side.

None of the Hollows had been killed, but they were wounded, and none of them were prepared for when Rija lunged forward. She immediately stabbed one of the beasts straight through the head, while Itachi and Jiraiya plunged their blades into the monsters flanking her target.

Meanwhile, Visaelya had already begun a second incantation. "Lord of Storms, Queen of the Sky, Wrath of the Heavens! The Knight of the Bolt rides forth to strike down the Heart of Corruption! Hadō 19: Raimei!"

The spear of lighting that flew forth impaled a Hollow that had been about to pounce on Jiraiya. The sage smirked as he delivered a follow-up attack, slicing the beast in half. As the Hollow dissolved, Visaelya moved forward; there would be no more time for further incantations. The skirmish was now a full-on close quarters clash, and it would only be by working together that the four of them would be able to survive.

Raising his Zanpakutō, Itachi fended off a swing that had been meant for Rija before countering by slicing the Hollow's arm off. He then thrust his blade forward, and it went right into the monster's neck. Returning the favor, Rija sliced the head clean off of a Hollow that had been about to pounce on Itachi.

"Keep it up!" she yelled as she ducked beneath another beast before stabbing it in the gut, "This fight's just getting started!"

Fighting in unison, the four of them stood as a bulwark against the onrushing pack. Their blades flashed through the air, and each combatant carved into the charging Hollows with their own style. While Itachi maintained his swift and precise swordsmanship, Rija had a more graceful and flowing nature to her Zanjutsu that reminded him of Minerva's technique. Jiraiya and Visaelya, by contrast, both favored more powerful styles. The key difference between the two of them was experience; Jiraiya's strikes carried with them the confidence that was born from surviving fights to the death, while Visaelya's attacks were a little rougher, as if she were trying to find her step. That was to be expected, though, and she was giving a commendable accounting for herself.

"There's plenty for all of us," said Jiraiya with a smirk as he slashed a beast across the torso, "May the best man win!"

"This isn't a game, Jiraiya!" Visaelya snapped while stabbing a Hollow in the face, "Besides, who's to say that a woman wouldn't win whatever contest you're thinking of?"

Jiraiya chuckled. "So you are counting, aren't you?"

"Save the competition for when you've got more experience!" Rija ordered as she sliced the legs clean off of a Hollow before finishing it off with a thrust through its mask, "Stay focused!"

She's right, thought Itachi as he cut down another foe, The last thing any of us need right now is a distraction.

I can count your kills if you're too busy at the moment.

Don't.

He saw Rija's eyes narrow as more Hollows came out of the cave. "Not good. Itachi, cover me! I just need a second!"

Itachi stepped forward and plunged his sword into a Hollow's stomach. Behind him he felt a sudden spike in spiritual pressure; Rija was releasing her Zanpakutō.

"Shock and awe, Sutōmudansā!" she shouted.

A moment later she stepped forward again, giving Itachi a good view of her Shikai. Her sword had taken on the form of an exotic curved blade, which had a barbed point on the inside just a little bit behind the main tip of the weapon. Flowing runes that were beyond Itachi's ability to decipher ran up along the inside curve of the weapon, and they glowed with a green-yellow light. The weapon's handle had changed from a traditional katana hilt to a golden design with a curved wrist guard that began at where the blade met the handle and ended at the end of the pommel. Rubies and emeralds were embedded in the handle, and greenish-yellow sparks danced up and down the blade.

The design of the sword was intriguing enough, but that wasn't the end of Rija's Shikai. While the blade was held in her left hand, her left hand now grasped a circular shield unlike anything Itachi had ever seen before. A green ring made up the border of the design, while the main body was composed of a violet circle emblazoned with a set of golden wings. Running straight up the middle of the shield in a line were three gems; two sapphires flanking a ruby. The light reflecting in the gems made the shield radiant to behold, and Itachi hoped that he would have time after the fight to study it in detail.

Rija wasted no time in giving the enemy a taste of her Shikai's power. "Take this!"

She made a horizontal slash with her sword. The blade cut through nothing but air, but it wasn't the sword itself that the Hollows had to worry about; it was the bolts of greenish-yellow lightning that flew forth from the arc of the slash. The Hollows were engulfed in the energy, with bolts of electricity coursing all over their bodies and causing them to jerk and spasm uncontrollably.

Itachi and his fellow students immediately recognized their opportunity to strike and seized it. Their blades carved into stunned Hollows, ripping them apart before they could defend themselves. Rija leapt forward to join them, and her engraved sword danced through the air a significantly greater speed than her sealed Zanpakutō had.

The blade's actually smaller in its Shikai form, Itachi noted, I bet it's lighter, too, even with the gems embedded in the handle. It really suits her fighting style.

Jiraiya smiled as he finished off a Hollow. "Impressive! I'm shocked, truly!"

"Save the bad puns for later, Jiraiya!" Visaelya barked as she delivered the coup de grace to her latest target.

Jiraiya chuckled. "What can I say? I was struck by the spark of inspiration!"

Rija smirked as she blocked a heavy blow with her shield. "Thanks, but don't let it distract you! I'll take your praise after the fighting's done!"

As Itachi cut down the Hollow that Rija had just fended off with her shield, the Fifteenth Seat leapt forward and slashed through the air again. Just like before, bolts of lightning flew from the arc of her slash and stunned a fresh wave of Hollows. Even as he moved in to attack the vulnerable monsters, Itachi's mind was already hard at work analyzing how Rija fought with her Shikai. Its special attack was clearly an area-of-effect strike, and the way that she had put herself out in front of the students before unleashing the ability was a clear indicator of its indiscriminate nature.

She could probably cover a much wider area with that attack if she wanted to, he thought as he stabbed a Hollow in the neck, but she doesn't want to risk hurting us in the process. I wonder how much control she really has over her power…

Even with the knowledge that he, Jiraiya, or Visaelya could be hurt by an errant bolt of lightning did not change the fact that Itachi was quite grateful that Rija had decided to unleash the true power of her Zanpakutō. The group of Hollows attacking them out of the cave did not seem to be letting up anytime soon, and Rija's abilities were invaluable for crowd control. It had become quite clear to Itachi that Yoruichi had put her with the interceptor group for more than just to keep an eye on the three of them; her Shikai was ideal for corralling and stunning Hollows, making them much easier for her comrades to take out.

If Itachi had a concern about Rija's Shikai beyond its area-of-effect, it was how much spirit energy it took for her to use it. While he still had much to learn about the nature of the Zanpakutō, one lesson that had been taught early on was that only higher ranked officers could typically utilize their Shikai in the most efficient manner possible. As Squad Two's Fifteenth Seat, Rija was likely still trying to develop her skills with her Shikai and discover the full extent of its abilities. The power and skill that she was displaying in the current fight was quite impressive, but Itachi had to wonder just how long she could fight like that. She didn't show any signs of strain at the moment, but that could always change.

It was up to him, Jiraiya and Visaelya to cover the much more experienced Soul Reaper and make sure that she wasn't carrying the bulk of the fight on her own. Fortunately, despite their differing personalities and fighting styles, all three students were already proving that they were more than capable of working together. Despite her clear distaste for Jiraiya, Visaelya was still cooperating with him and working fluidly to fill in any gaps in his defenses, and the same was true the other way around. Since Rija was between Itachi and the two of them, he saw his role as serving as a second sword and shield for the officer, giving her some much-needed breathing room so she'd be able to unleash her invaluable lighting-attack and keep the attacking Hollows off balance.

Rija seemed to catch on to what Itachi was trying to accomplish, because she gave him a knowing smile and nod as he cut down a beast that had been trying to flank her. "The Captain was right; you are a natural at this!"

"Thanks," Itachi replied.

As he fended off another Hollow that tried to attack her from the side, Rija stepped forward and unleashed another arc of lightning against the pack of enemies. The burst of electricity once again engulfed a wave of the monsters, but there were even more behind them. As the Hollows that were hit by the lighting stumbled, the others simply rushed around them. The situation was beginning to deteriorate, and to make matters worse Itachi didn't see any sign of reinforcements heading their way.

The other teams in the interceptor group must be occupied, he thought as he thrust his Zanpakutō through a Hollow's chest, Just how many of these creatures were nesting here?

Itachi still had plenty of energy left for the fight, and he could tell that the same was true for Jiraiya and Rija, but he wasn't so sure about Visaelya. She was still holding up, but from the sweat that was beginning to gather at her brow it was clear that the battle was starting to take its toll on her. For all her promise and skill, this was still her first real life and death fight. If the Hollows' assault didn't ease up soon, she would be in trouble. Itachi could only hope that Jiraiya would be able to give her a chance to catch her breath.

Their blades flashed through the air in streaks of silver as one monster after another fell before them, but the enemy just kept on coming. What this batch of Hollows lacked in individual power they made up for in numbers and tenacity. It was times like this that made Itachi curse the loss of the Sharingan; its powers would be most useful for evening the odds. Even more conventional Justus such as Shadow Clones or Summoning would come in handy in a situation like this, but for all their similarities spirit energy was not quite the same as chakra; it had its own qualities and rules of manipulation, and unfortunately Itachi still had a long way to go before he could achieve mastery of it.

"Well, these guys don't lack for enthusiasm!" said Jiraiya as he cleaved clean through a Hollow's neck, "How many do we have to kill before they take the hint that they're not welcome around here?"

"Too… damn… many!" Visaelya growled as she thrust her blade through a beast's knee before finishing it off with a stab to the chest.

"No kidding," said Rija as she bashed a Hollow in the face with her shield before cutting it down, "We might be in trouble here…"

She's not wrong. How are you holding up?

You actually sound concerned.

If you die, I die, remember?

I'm not dying here. None of us are.

Of course, that was a case of easier said than done. They were holding their own, but how long could it last?

The Hollows seemed to sense an opening, because if anything their already fierce assault suddenly became even more aggressive. They were pressing hard, and it was all Itachi could do to hold his ground at Rija's side. To make matters worse, it was becoming increasingly clear that Visaelya's strength was waning. Her breathing was growing labored, her strikes were losing speed and power, and her footing was becoming shaky. Jiraiya was still going strong, but more of his efforts were being spent now just keeping the Hollows from exploiting the growing gaps in Visaelya's defenses. As skilled as the Legendary Sannin was, he no longer had access to the vast array of Jutsus that had made him so powerful in life; he was still building up his new abilities, just like Itachi. Experience and skill were vital, but they weren't enough.

A trio of Hollows charged forward, aiming right at Jiraiya and Visaelya. The sage met them head-on, and while his powerful strike was enough to instantly take down the lead Hollow, its companions went around him, gunning for Visaelya with dripping fangs and grisly claws. She brought her sword up in response and was able to block an attack from one of the beasts, but the second one lunged at her from the side. Visaelya tried to dodge, but the monster's claws still got a hit on her. The force of the blow knocked her to the ground and winded her, and Itachi could see blood seeping from her wounds.

"Damn it!" Jiraiya snarled as he stabbed the second Hollow in the back, "Visaelya, hang on!"

Despite her injury and her struggle to catch her breath, Visaelya still brought her sword up into guard position, and her violet eyes were burning with defiance as she stared down the third Hollow. The beast's claws were raised for a killing blow, and Itachi knew that his classmate wouldn't be able to withstand it. Another Hollow was already moving on him, though, and he couldn't help Visaelya without leaving his back exposed to his new foe.

"Visaelya, move!" he shouted.

Even as he gave her that desperate command, he knew it was too late; her wounds would not let her evade in time. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, and Itachi could only steel himself for the horror that was to come.

He was about to lose a comrade to the horrors of war once again.

And that was when the Hollow's arm was cut clean off by a flash of silver.

As he plunged his Zanpakutō into the throat of his opponent, Itachi's eyes widened as a second strike against Visaelya's assailant resulted in the creature's chest being ripped open. The beast dissolved, and the face of Visaelya's savior was revealed.

A face that Itachi hadn't seen in years.

"Shisui…" he said softly as his mind struggled to process it.

He wore the robes of a Soul Reaper now, and the blade he wielded was quite clearly a Zanpakutō, but there was no denying that the man he was looking at was his best friend. The short and unkempt dark hair, the black eyes with the friendly gleam to them… it was truly him.

Shisui Uchiha.

"Itachi, focus!" Rija ordered as she took a blow on her shield that had been meant for him, "We still have a job to do!"

Itachi nodded, his eyes narrowing as he turned his attention back to the fight. "Right."

We'll have to catch up later, he thought as he stabbed another Hollow in the chest, but still… he's back.

Yet another reason for you to make it through this fight alive.

I couldn't agree more.

….

The pain was considerable, but Visaelya still retained enough awareness to know that she had to put pressure on her wounds and stop the bleeding. Her Academy robes weren't ideal, but they were all that she had to work with at the moment. Fortunately, the blood flow wasn't as bad as it had initially looked. She was hurt, but her wounds weren't as deep as she had first feared.

Unfortunately, she was a prime target for the Hollows now. All her instructors had been quite clear; once someone was wounded, the beasts would concentrate their efforts on that individual like sharks after bleeding prey in the water. Keeping pressure on her wounds meant that she could not fight back, while trying to defend herself would likely only make her injuries worse. Visaelya hated that she was stuck in this situation, but she could draw solace from the fact that she had defenders. While she might not be particularly fond of Jiraiya, she trusted his skills and his personal integrity enough to know that he would not let the Hollows get to her without a fight.

It wasn't Jiraiya that her gaze was on now, though. Her eyes were riveted to the Soul Reaper that had just saved her life…

…and was utterly decimating the Hollows around her.

While Visaelya was still a student, she had always believed that she knew more than a thing or two about Hohō and Zanjutsu. She was in the advanced track, after all, and while she still had yet to surpass either Itachi or Jiraiya, her skills had always earned the praise of her instructors. The display her savoir was putting on now served as a stark reminder as to just how far she still had to go.

His sword was like a viper, striking at blinding speed before his foes had a chance to react. Each blow was as precise as it was lethal. As for the few Hollows that got the chance to attack him, none of their strikes even came close to touching him. He moved with an agility that Visaelya could only marvel at. At times he almost seemed casual in the manner that he was dodging the blows of the Hollows.

After clearing out a space around them, the newcomer turned to Jiraiya. "Keep her stable until the Squad Four relief team is able to tend to her! I'll keep the Hollows off of you!"

Jiraiya nodded. "Right!"

He then knelt next to her and used his Zanpakutō to cut strips of fabric from his own robes. Visaelya could not help but be impressed with how Jiraiya was swiftly able to turn the torn clothing into makeshift bandages; he'd clearly done this before.

"Hold still," he said as he began to bind her wounds, "These won't perform as well as real bandages, but they should keep you alive until you can get real medical attention."

Visaelya nodded. "Right… thanks."

"Anytime," he replied.

Despite the seemingly carefree attitude he tended to have during class, Visaelya was surprised at just how serious Jiraiya could be when the occasion called for it. His conduct in the battle had been quite commendable, apart from the handful of irritating jokes he had cracked earlier, and he was handling his treatment of her wounds with the gravity that the situation warranted.

It seems that I misjudged him, she thought, He may act like an oaf, but he is more than that. He's certainly not bothered by our current predicament, which is more than could be said for many students faced with their first real battle… myself included.

Confident in her classmate's ability to treat her wounds, even if it was only temporary, she returned her attention to the Soul Reaper that had saved her life. He was ripping through the Hollows like a cyclone, and that was just with a sealed Zanpakutō. Visaelya could sense from his spiritual pressure that he was actually holding back; with the amount of energy he had, there was no doubt in her mind that her savior was a seated officer, and one at a greater rank than Rija to boot.

She recalled hearing Itachi speak his name before Jiraiya had begun tending to her wounds, although it had been hard for her to make it out. "Shisui… they know each other?"

"So it would seem," said Jiraiya.

She felt as though her classmate knew more than he was letting on, but she decided not to press the matter. It wouldn't be fitting of someone of her stature to interrogate the man that was currently treating her injuries, after all. Besides, how Itachi and Shisui knew each other hardly mattered at the moment. What mattered right then and there was his ability to kill Hollows, and it appeared his talent in that realm was considerable.

Despite Visaelya being down and Jiraiya occupied by bandaging her wounds, the situation for their little group had actually stabilized. Now that the Hollows immediately surrounding Visaelya had been cleared out, Shisui had shifted his focus to holding the front with Itachi and Rija. The Fifteenth Seat had a confident smile on her face now, and Itachi seemed to be fighting with renewed vigor. Whoever Shisui was, he seemed to have enough of a connection with both fighters that his very presence was enough to bolster their morale.

"What's the situation down in the caves?" asked Rija as she sent another arc of lighting towards the beasts.

"There was heavy fighting when I broke off to chase these guys," said Shisui as he cut the legs out from under a Hollow before jamming his blade through its mask, "It's nothing the Captains can't handle, though."

"Good to hear," said Itachi as he sliced a monster's head clean from its neck.

"Let's wrap this up," said Rija, and Visaelya couldn't help but notice that her breathing had grown slightly labored, "I don't know how much juice I've got left."

Shisui nodded as he stabbed a Hollow through the side. "Itachi, fall back and guard the others. Rija, you got one more burst in you?"

"Absolutely!" she replied.

"Then let fly on my mark," he said, "Ready… mark!"

As both Shisui and Itachi stepped back, Rija made another wide slash with her sword. With the Hollows stunned by her latest lightning attack, the two Soul Reapers and the student now had a critical bit of breathing room. While Itachi moved towards Visaelya and Jiraiya, Shisui raised his Zanpakutō. The intensity of his spiritual pressure immediately surged, and Visaelya realized what was happening.

"Playtime," he said with a smile, "Kage no Kodomo!"

Dark blue energy engulfed his Zanpakutō as the weapon's Shikai was unleashed. The weapon shifted from a katana with blue handle wrapping and a black guard into a slender short sword. The guard had changed into a silver circle with four slits carved into it, and tendrils of dark blue spirit energy were wafting out from them.

Such a strange design, Visaelya thought, I wonder what it does…

She got her answer a moment later as Shisui raised his sword in mock salute, smirking at his opponents. "Let's go."

The dark blue spirit energy that had been gradually leaking from the slits in the silver circle that made up the weapon's guard suddenly became a flood. It quickly formed four distinct spheres, and a moment later those spheres took on human form. Visaelya's eyes widened in shock as she was soon confronted with the sight of not one, but five Shisuis.

"What sorcery is this?" she whispered.

Jiraiya chuckled. "Well, well… now that brings back memories."

The Soul Reaper and his four copies moved as one, charging the Hollows. While their physical appearances were identical, Visaelya was able to detect a greater amount of spiritual pressure coming from one of them, which she assumed to be the real Shisui. It didn't seem matter that the clones were weaker than the original, though, as all of them swiftly began carving into the beasts before them. Weakened by Rija's earlier attack, they were no match for Shisui's onslaught.

Swiftly and efficiently, Shisui and the clones generated by his Shikai cut down the remaining Hollows. One of the beasts managed to get a defiant strike in, but it didn't hit the real Shisui; its claws met a clone, and the doppelganger simply dissipated into dark blue smoke. The Hollow's efforts were rewarded by the real Shisui stabbing it through the back of the head.

Visaelya could only look on in awe as her savior finished mopping up the surviving beasts. His speed, his power, his technique… they were all unlike anything that she had ever seen before. Through it all, he remained calm and in control, setting the pace of the fight and never missing a beat.

"Incredible…" she said softly.

Standing guard over her and Jiraiya, Itachi nodded. "Just like the old days…"

Visaelya raised an eyebrow. "How do you two know each other?"

She was surprised to actually see a small smile appear on his face. "Another time, and another life."

Visaelya found herself blushing with embarrassment. It was so easy to forget that he and Jiraiya hadn't been born in the Soul Society like she had. Her etiquette lessons had been quite clear that asking someone like Itachi about their prior life was brutally insensitive to say the least, and yet she had blundered like a buffoon right across that line. Fortunately, he didn't seem particularly bothered by it.