Chapter 63 - Burn and Reveal, Truth-seeker

"Self-sacrifice… A nameless shinobi who protects peace within its shadow. That is a true shinobi." — Itachi Uchiha.

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[Shin'ō Academy]

"Finally, I thought the class was never going to end!" The third year students sighed and clamored around after the instructor left the class. "Since that's our last class for the day, is anyone up for some fun?"

A resounding chorus of positive replies rang out and the class was immediately separated into groups.

"Hey, Junpei? You coming or what?" Someone called out as they saw Junpei quietly leaving the class.

"No, not today." Junpei said and left, leaving the group surprised.

"What's up with him lately?" Someone asked.

"Like hell if I know."

"I hear he's been training like hell recently 'cause he wants to graduate this year." A girl informed and another one added. "I think he wants to join the 2nd Division, at least that's what he said."

"A Joint-Specialized Division? With how bad he is at Zanjutsu and Hakuda, I'll be more surprised if he passes this year's evaluation." Someone scoffed and the whole group laughed.

…..

Itachi frowned as he went over the report that was sent to him from Yoruichi. One about some rogue Shinigami.

While he understood that this was the type of missions the Division was specialized in, this was however the first time Yoruichi was giving him one of this nature.

To him, the brand of 'rogue' is a very distinct and complicated status that rarely ever tell the true reason why one was branded a rogue.

"Are you going alone?"

"Yes."

Those were the only words he exchanged with Soi Fon after she delivered the memo from Yoruichi. Even she could tell that he had conflicted feelings about it, but she said nothing. And he also didn't mention that his actions would be based on what he found out from the so-called rogues.

Stepping through the Senkaimon into the human world, Itachi felt the familiar shackling sealing appearing on his hand but he wasn't in the mood to express his displeasure with it.

'You're still thinking if there is a particular reason why she gave you this chore, aren't you?'

"We are about to find out."

The rogues as it was were hiding under the effect of a concealing Kidō spell which actually made it easier for Itachi to find them.

'Something isn't right.' He heard Amaterasu say and slightly nodded his head.

Rogues weren't a new thing in Soul Society but most of the time they just seem to hide away and only few bothered with staging a rebellion – or going after other Shinigami like these one did.

'From the feel of these Kidō, they are probably in their 50s.' Tsukuyomi commented after getting a feel from the barrier. 'If they were this competent they shouldn't have been easy to find.'

"True, but it's not like most know about the Sharingan."

Drawing out his black sword, Itachi stabbed it into a spot and the Kidō barrier became visible.

"Hadō #63: Raikōhō." Yellow lightning traveled through the blade and ran amok across the entire barrier and crumbled it into motes of light.

'Are you sure about this Itachi?'

"I am no one's attack dog, Tsukuyomi. I'll hear what they have to say first."

Itachi felt the numerous presence hiding around him(or at least trying to) but showed no reaction as he walked through the dark underground tunnel system, saying nothing until he got to the wide opening in the middle of it where he felt the strongest Reiatsu waiting.

"Have the Shinigami finally come to get us?" The middle aged man that was sitting on what seemed to a throne carved from stone regarded Itachi as he walked in.

"I'd like to talk first if that's possible. Mostly about your misgivings about the Soul Society."

The silence between them stretched before the man burst out into a hilarious laughing fit. "Do you hear that guys? Mr. Shinigami here wants to talk?"

"A bit late that, ain't it?" A lanky man said, rolling his eyes as he came and stood beside the man sitting on the throne.

"From what I understand, you're from a fallen noble family that rebelled because you disagreed with how the Seireitei was ruled. I just want to know your reasons."

"There's no need. We don't need you to sympathize with us. As long as we get the power we want, even the Captains and the vaunted Squad 0 will fall!" Their leader gave a hollow smile that sent the rest of the rogues inside the room into motion.

The first one that got to Itachi was grinning as he attempted to stab him through from the back, well he succeeded, but it wasn't Itachi he stabbed.

"Is that it? Only power?" Itachi asked, frowning while still appearing as if he never moved.

"Power is everything. That is why the old man still leads the Gotei 13 after 1000 years!" His face was serious as he saw one of his people sliding dead to the ground after one just killed him.

"–I.. I didn't do that!" The rogue who just killed his comrade shouted in panic as everyone's eyes were now moving between him and Itachi.

The leader was about to say something but was shaken as the space between him and Itachi was erased with a shimmer and the Shinigami was now standing mere meters from his face.

"Now tell me… why did you rebel?"

Instead of an answer, the man drew his blade and skewered Itachi through with a nasty smile that turned into a frown when he saw Itachi not reacting at all, merely pointing behind him.

"You're being influenced. An illusion." The moment he tried influencing the man to answer his questions, he and Tsukuyomi immediately felt the influence of another illusion on the man.

'Itachi…'

'I felt it too.'

With how attuned he now was with Tsukuyomi, he felt the change in everyone's mind as if whatever was in their leader's mind suddenly came alive in theirs too.

"So someone is controlling you. Good to know."

They all sprang into action the moment he figured out the influence on their leader, well all of them from the looks of it.

'It seems to have broken my initial illusion too.' He noticed.

'How quaint. To send puppets on illusionary strings against us.' Tsukuyomi chuckled on one of the rarest moments Itachi has ever seen him show genuine emotions.

'Yes! Tsukuyomi has someone to compare against and I have that Captain Shiba and the old Head Captain. What are you waiting for, Itachi?'

Itachi looked around at the group of rogues fighting themselves. With his Sharingan, he could easily put them in another illusion that didn't go against the one they were already in, and as for removing it…

'It's not impossible.' Tsukuyomi started, sounding even impressed. 'This illusion is complete, in that it 'completely' traps the victim in its illusion and blocks all six of their senses from outside influence.'

Itachi grabbed the leader while the others were busy fighting themselves and stared into the man's eyes with his Sharingan.

'Normal ways of breaking out of an illusion won't do it since it completely covers their Reiatsu manipulation. Accept it or not, but your illusions aren't complete in the true sense of the word as there are ways to bypass it. Your manipulation of illusions is unearthly but it isn't truly complete.'

"So my control against their power? Just like with Kenpachi." Itachi was unfazed by Tsukuyomi's words, instead started using his illusions to overlap with what the foreign illusion was making them see.

If the illusion was warping what they saw, Itachi's illusion was warping the area around them; like two incomplete opaque objects joining together to create one full picture.

'Using Truth-seeker would have been easier.' Tsukuyomi said blandly as he saw what Itachi did. It was the perfect antithesis to countering illusions just like these.

'True, but there's no reason to go that far. And besides, I don't know if anyone is watching.'

At that moment, the underground cave started rumbling, making Itachi look above where he could see multiple discordant Reiatsu.

"Why are Hollows here?" As if expecting something, he pulled out his communicator and tried contacting the Research Division but nothing went through.

"Just like that time."

He no longer bothered with the rogues and, a wrong decision, and went above to see what was happening.

"This is obviously the work of a Hollow bait."

'Meaning the puppeteer is nearby.' Tsukuyomi said.

'And that they are specifically targeting you.' Amaterasu pointed out.

'They might have singled me out because of my illusions and the theory that it could stop theirs even despite me staying low and reducing my presence in the Gotei 13.'

'That's what you get for hiding behind facades; prodding and manipulation.' Amaterasu scoffed in displeasure. 'A fierce flame doesn't fear burning itself. The fear belongs to those who come near it.'

'I guess what she's trying to say, Itachi, is stop hiding your capabilities and I agree with her. The Moon never hides its shine.'

"Considering a setup like this is mostly to kill me or draw out the extent of my abilities, I see no reason to keep being covert."

He pulled out both of his blades and held their hilt together.

"Kogasu to Sarakeru, Honshin." (Burn and Reveal, Truth-seeker.)

A haze of red clouds and black flames erupted from both blades and engulfed him.

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