Chapter Twenty Five

The next day…

It had been quite some time since Itachi had last seen the Head Captain, and this was the first time that the master of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads had spoken to him directly. If the venerable Soul Reaper had been imposing before when addressing the students of Shin'ō Academy on the first day of the school year, then the weight of his bearing was all the heavier now that it was focused on Itachi alone. The scarred and powerful old man studied him for a good long moment, and Itachi didn't dare make the first move.

Not even the Third Hokage held the same level of gravitas that the Head Captain commands, he thought, I know he's not actively exerting his spiritual pressure, but even so… it's almost crushing with his focus on me like this.

It wasn't just the Head Captain that had come to see Itachi in the Squad Four barracks today. Off to the side were Captains Yoruichi and Unohana, along with Minerva and Soi-Fon. In addition to them was another man that Itachi had not met before; a tall and lightly-tanned Soul Reaper with short silver-gray hair, a small black handlebar mustache, and sharp brown eyes. Over the standard shihakushō he wore a white jinbaori with long white arm-guards. There was also a white turtle-neck under his uniform, and a Lieutenant's armband was on his left arm.

"It is nice to meet you, Itachi Uchiha," said the Head Captain, causing the former Shinobi to stiffen his posture ever so slightly, "Rare indeed is a student that one of my Captains will speak so highly of, yet it seems that you have impressed both Captain Shihōin and Captain Unohana."

Itachi bowed. "I'm honored by their praise. My only desire is to demonstrate that I am worthy of the faith they have shown in me."

"You will be given a chance to do precisely that today," said the Head Captain before nodding at the white-haired Lieutenant.

The man stepped forward and passed a stack of papers to Itachi. "I am Chōjirō Sasakibe, the Lieutenant of Squad One. I assisted the Head Captain in working up the evaluation that you shall take today."

Itachi nodded. "I see."

"You will start with the academic test you now hold in your hand," said the Head Captain as he gestured at the sole table in the middle of the room, "Two hours will be granted for you to complete it. Once it is complete, I will personally review your answers. After that, we shall move on to the physical portion of this examination. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Head Captain," he replied.

"Then take a seat, Itachi Uchiha," said the Head Captain, his eyes narrowing, "Your test will begin on my mark."

Itachi went over to the table and sat down. A pen was already there waiting for him. Itachi took a moment to look over the first page before turning to his audience. Did all of them really intend to just stand there and watch as he took a written test for the next two hours? If they did, he couldn't stop them, although he imagined that they'd be awfully bored waiting for him to finish.

After a moment, the Head Captain spoke again. "Your test begins… now!"

There was nothing left to do now but go for it.

….

"Looks like he's coming along well," Minerva whispered into Yoruichi's ear, "I think he'll be done soon."

Squad Two's Captain nodded. It had been about an hour and a half since Itachi had started the test. No one had left the room, and to his credit Itachi had acted as though the rest of them weren't even there. His attention was solely on his exam, giving each question careful consideration before writing his answer.

I wish I knew what exactly was on it, she thought, Head Captain Yamamoto wouldn't share the material with any of us, though. I guess that's to be expected, though; with the favor I've shown to Itachi, he might've been worried about me trying to give him an edge in the test.

That wasn't something that Yoruichi would've done, though; she had faith in Itachi and wanted him to succeed on his own merits. If she had shown him favor it was only because she had seen the incredible potential within him, and she wanted to do all she could to help him develop his abilities as a Soul Reaper. She considered it her duty as a Captain to make sure that the Soul Society would benefit from Itachi's gifts once they matured… although privately, she might admit that her personal feelings played a role here too.

There was something about the young man that sparked curiosity within her. For a new arrival in the Soul Society, he had already shown a remarkable affinity for the fighting arts, and that raised a good deal of questions. What had he been in his former life? Who had he fought, and how had he fought them? How had a man as bright and talented as he appeared to be met his end at such a young age?

In the Soul Society, inquiring about the past lives of arrivals was considered something close to a social taboo. At the very least, it wasn't to be done casually; only those who had deep connections with each other could even consider to ask such questions. When someone passed on from the Realms of the Living to the Soul Society, who they had been in the past was no longer supposed to matter. Here, they had been given a new life, one that, in theory at least, they could live without being burdened by the past.

However, Yoruichi suspected that Itachi was burdened by his past. Perhaps it was just because he was still a new arrival, but Yoruichi believed that there was more to it. She had not forgotten what Unohana had told her when Itachi had healed from the soul fracture, and she could only guess at what might make a stoic young man such as himself shed tears. Although he had shown himself to be both a model student and a brave individual, Yoruichi had not failed to notice how there seemed to be a shadow in his gaze. He was a calm young man, but she'd caught hints of what appeared to be a deeper emotional scarring when she'd looked into his eyes. She didn't know what he had seen and done when he had been alive, but he was clearly haunted by it.

I know it's not my place to pry, she thought as she watched him enter the home stretch of the written test, but still… that doesn't mean I'm not tempted. I was born in the Soul Society; I didn't come here through death like Itachi did. My knowledge of the Realms of the Living stretches only as far as the missions I've been on outside the Soul Society, so I can only imagine what Itachi's time there was like. However, I think it's pretty safe to say that his life wasn't like that of your average person. Someone who lived a normal and healthy life isn't the type of person who has the skill and temperament required to challenge a Hollow unarmed after just arriving in the Soul Society. Something happened to him… and whatever it was, I've got a feeling that it wasn't pretty.

For now, there was little for her to do but rein in her curiosity. If all went well, not only would Itachi pass today's test, but eventually he would graduate from the Academy and take his place amongst the active duty Soul Reapers of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, preferably in her division. Eventually, she hoped that their professional relationship and personal friendship would develop to the point that she'd be able to broach such a sensitive topic with him. If nothing else, he really did strike her as a decent young man, and she definitely wouldn't mind the chance to get to know him better.

Another ten minutes or so passed before Itachi put his pen down and gathered up the test papers. He then stood up and presented them to the Head Captain.

"I believe that's all of them," the young man said, "What next?"

"I shall grade them personally," the Head Captain replied, "with some assistance from Lieutenant Sasakibe. You will wait out in the hall with the others. Once we are finished here, you shall move on to the physical portion of this evaluation."

Itachi nodded. "Understood, Head Captain."

Yoruichi smiled as Itachi came over towards her. "You finished before the whole two hours was up. I think you nailed it!"

"I hope so," said Itachi as they left the room, "The questions weren't easy."

"That's to be expected," said Minerva as the door shut behind them, "The Head Captain himself came up with the test, after all. Still, you should've been familiar with all the material presented."

"I was," said Itachi, "thanks to you, Miss Minerva."

Minerva smiled. "Don't look so worried; I'm sure you did just fine."

Yoruichi grinned as she gave Itachi a pat on the back. "She's right, Itachi. You got this!"

Soi-Fon nodded. "I believe that you will succeed, Itachi."

"I must admit," Unohana chimed in, "you completed the Head Captain's written examination faster than I thought you would. I believe that bodes well, although you should not rest on your laurels until you've completed the physical evaluation too."

Itachi nodded. "Of course."

They spent the better part of the next hour standing in the hallway making the occasional bit of small-talk as they waited for the Head Captain and his Lieutenant to finish reviewing Itachi's written test. While Yoruichi could be a patient woman when the situation called for it, she was actually rather eager for them all to move on to the physical portion of the examination.

I can't wait for the Head Captain to see just how far Itachi's come, she thought, the excitement building within her, Hell, it'll be fun to see the look on Sasakibe's face too when he sees just what Itachi's capable of!

When the Head Captain and his Lieutenant finally emerged from the room, Yoruichi saw Yamamoto give Itachi a long, hard stare. She couldn't tell what the old man was thinking, but that was par for the course. Eventually the Head Captain nodded at the young man, and Yoruichi thought she caught the barest hint of a smile beneath that ridiculously thick mustache of his.

"Well done, Itachi," he said, "I'm pleased to inform you that you passed your written examination with flying colors."

Itachi nodded, and Yoruichi saw some of the tension leave him. "Thank you, Head Captain."

Unohana smiled. "Congratulations, Itachi."

Minerva folded her arms, a satisfied smirk on her face. "I expected nothing less."

Yoruichi gave Itachi a playful punch on the shoulder. "See, what did I tell you? You had nothing to worry about!"

Even Soi-Fon was smiling. "Well done."

Lieutenant Sasakibe cleared his throat. "While the academic test is now complete, we must still conduct the physical examination."

Yamamoto nodded. "Indeed. Let us proceed to the training yard so that we may begin the tests for Kidō, Hohō, Hakuda, and Zanjutsu."

Yoruichi and the others followed the Head Captain outside. She saw that a series of targets had already been set up; it appeared that they would be starting with Kidō.

The Head Captain pointed the gnarled staff that contained his Zanpakutō at a mat that had been set out in the training yard. "Itachi, we shall begin the physical examination by testing your skills in Kidō. First semester students in the advanced track are expected to have a basic understanding of Hadō 1 through 20, so you will perform all of those spells. You will be given a brief rest period at intervals of every five spells so that you may maintain your spirit energy. Is that understood?"

Itachi nodded. "Yes, Head Captain."

"Very well, then," said the Head Captain, "You may begin when you are ready."

All right, then, thought Yoruichi as she saw Itachi step onto the mat, I guess it's time for Round Two.

You can do it, Itachi!

….

Looks like he's doing just fine, Minerva thought as she watched the home stretch of the Kidō test with a satisfied smile, I wonder what's going through the old man's head right about now…

She looked on as Itachi held his right hand up high and began the latest 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!"

A spear composed of golden-yellow lighting appeared just above the upraised palm of his hand. The lance flew forward a second later and struck the target downrange dead-center, bursting it into splinters.

Excellent, she thought, I couldn't spot a single flaw in his form, and the incantation was spot-on. Just one more to go, Itachi.

Even with a short break every five spells, running through twenty of them like this was no small feat for a first-year student, even in the advanced track. Itachi had proven himself to be more than up to the challenge, though. He had remained composed and focused throughout the test, and Minerva was pleased to see all the hours they'd spent practicing paying off here. If the Kidō Corps learned of his performance here today, then Minerva suspected that Yoruichi would have even more competition when the time came to recruit Itachi after graduation.

"Impressive," she heard Unohana murmur.

Yoruichi was smiling. "Come on, Itachi. You're almost there."

"Just one left…" Soi-Fon muttered.

Sasakibe quickly jotted something down on a notepad. "Well done."

The Head Captain gave Itachi a nod. "Commence the final spell!"

Itachi held out both hands as he chanted the incantation. "Wave of the Divine, crash upon the ramparts of the Demon King! Overwhelm through righteous might, pound through the tempest of Hell! Hadō 20: Tenkū no Myaku!"

The air rippled and warped as a broad wave of invisible energy burst forth. A line of targets was knocked over by the pulse, and even a few tiles were uprooted by the strength of the attack.

Yoruichi started clapping. "Nice job, Itachi!"

Unohana smiled. "Superb technique."

Soi-Fon nodded. "Well done."

Minerva clapped as well. "Excellent work!"

"Indeed," said Sasakibe, looking rather impressed by the display, "Quite a demonstration for a student."

The Head Captain nodded in approval. "Quite so. That concludes the Kidō portion of this test. Itachi, if you would kindly step inside for a few minutes while we prepare for the Hohō section of this evaluation, that would be appreciated."

"Understood," Itachi replied.

Not knowing what else to do, Minerva followed him, with Yoruichi, Soi-Fon, and Unohana in tow. She was curious as to what sort of test the Head Captain had devised in order to evaluate Itachi's progress with Hohō, but she doubted that the old man would take kindly on her spying on the preparation.

Stay on your guard, Itachi, she thought as she silently studied her student, I'm proud of how well you've done so far, but you're not out of the woods just yet.