Chapter 19 - The Moon - An Ethereal Mirror

A/N: For those still asking about Itachi's abilities, it's quite a loose concept but let's see. Given that it's Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu who are the base of his Shikai and future Bankai, as opposed to the Sharingan being his Zanpakutō's spirit, it is his Mangekyō. I made it that way because the normal Sharingan doesn't have that uniqueness that the Mangekyō does, which are the two abilities that are unique to every Uchiha in Itachi's case - Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu.Meaning his Shikai, which is Tsukuyomi for now, is a fully illusion-type Zanpakutō. Him having the Sharingan without activating his Shikai is kinda like a prerequisite, ie. To access his Shikai, he must first unlock his Sharingan, the thing is he did both at once. Classic Itachi I guess (plot)

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A day like all others in the North Rukongai was what this day was to Itachi; traveling, training with Tsukuyomi, hunting some wild animals, fighting off some bandits and everything that made the Rukongai what it was.

Knowing how sensitive Shinigamis were to Reiatsu, especially now that he was getting progressively closer to the Seireitei, Itachi knew he couldn't be releasing it anytime he wanted unless he wanted any nearby Shinigami to hone into his location. 

Though he couldn't let out his Reiatsu in fear of being found out, he quickly realized that what he needed to do was control the output he released and he was fine. 

Which meant using his jutsus were out, not like he needed to since he'd already mastered those jutsus and all he needed to do was tweak the Reiatsu equivalent to use them just like he did with Chakra. 

He had spent over a week sleeping in the inn, not because of any illusion of comfort the haystack bed gave  but because he knew that moving too much was a good way to gain a trail. 

The Shinigamis might already be aware of his general direction but they can't paint the straight trail he's traveling in. 

"What do you say, Tsukuyomi? It's about time I start moving, don't you think?" He idly asked the sword sheathed at his waist. "I see."

Being a part of Itachi's soul meant that Tsukuyomi also possessed the same habits the Uchiha did, meaning it was also a Zanpakutō spirit of few words. 

But Itachi didn't need it's express words to understand the sword's intent. 

The thought that occurred to Itachi and made him stay over a week at the village was the thought of what he would do after completing his mission in the Seireitei. Would he satisfy his curiosity or would he act based on what he learns? 

For some reason, he was not too keen on finding out what his decision would be? 

The only thing he was sure of was that he wanted to know all there was about the Soul Society, the Shinigamis and the Hollows. 

Despite this being a world of souls, it felt too similar to the human world, and that for some reason, did not resonate well with Itachi. Not just because of preconceived notions, but because for some reason, no one seems to know anything he was talking about. 

No one has heard of the Elemental Nations, the Hidden Villages or even the Tailed Beasts. Even the calendar of the time they died was different from what Itachi knew. 

Sure they knew things like ninjas and samurais and the Warring Era but their description of them were a lot different from the ones Itachi knew. 

'This seems more like the afterlife of an alternate dimension.' That was the conclusion Itachi had come to after thinking over for a long while, giving him more reason for him to find out just where he was. 

This was too real to be an illusion, after all he of all people would know, so that meant either something happened with his soul due to deactivating the Edō Tensei or his soul somehow shifted dimensions. 

"Sometimes you think too much for your own good, Itachi." He heard the soft humming of his blade. 

"A man's thoughts are his greatest treasure, more so for a blind man." He replied but Tsukuyomi said nothing else, retreating to the solitude of his inner world. 

Without anyone noticing his departure, Itachi activated his movement technique and disappeared into the woods, traveling in the classic Shinobi style. 

….. 

[With Yoruichi and Soi Fon]

"Lady Yoruichi, do you think we'll be able to find him in the Rukongai? It's one soul out of millions." It wasn't that she doubted the abilities of her Lady Yoruichi, she could never, but it was just plain curiosity. 

"Given the way he's traveling mostly in what could be called a straight line and how he's steadily making his way down the Rukongai, all we need is a little bit of luck, technicality and some old tracking tactics to get a preserving trail on him."

Unlike the others, Yoruichi had a broad look on things like these and given her innate rebellious streaks and little regards for rules and societal constraints, something like this was something that fully garnered her curiosity. 

If Captain Shiba's words about the man was to be believed and that he was truly a newly reincarnated soul, then he truly was one of the talented souls they've seen, just like Gin Ichimaru. 

'No Zanjutsu, Hohou or Kidō. If he is proficient in these then he might be able to beat more than half of the Lieutenant.' That was her conservative thought as she knew the dangers of unrealistic expectations, even if the words of Captain Shiba can be trusted. 

"Before I left for the clan meeting, I sent some of the Onmitsukidō to the 69th District to confirm whether his words were true."

Soi Fon was surprised at the new information as this was something she had no idea of, despite being the Lieutenant of the 2nd and Yoruichi's retainer. 

"And?"

Yoruichi smirked. "For better or worse, it came back positive. The 69th District was the first place his identity was confirmed and all we got from that is his name, Itachi."

The information was sparse and the general thing that aligned was that he hardly spoke to people and he hardly stayed in one place for long. 

For Yoruichi, the situation was just amusing and she felt she could pay it a little attention since it also concerned her little servant/friend. 

Right now they were in the North Rukongai's 44th District and the reason they could get this far in their trail was something Yoruichi was quick to realize and that made her skeptical. 

The person they were looking for was obviously covering his trails and she had to admit he was very good at it, VERY good that she couldn't even pick up his personal trail. That meant experience, a LOT of it. 

He covered his personal trail but didn't care about leaving a trail with witnesses or his actions, however few they were, which she deduced that he most likely didn't want to face off directly against them. 

"Soi Fon, this person is likely stronger than the conservative estimate Captain Shiba made." She said seriously, earning a nod from Soi Fon who grasped the meaning of that. 

The conservative estimate was that the man, Itachi, was around the level of the weaker Lieutenants given that the only edge he had was his skill with the blade and his movement technique, but according to Yoruichi's words, he might be stronger than that. 

"Let's go, Soi Fon. This is turning into something really exciting." 

"Yes, Lady Yoruichi."

The two of them, Soi Fon following directly behind her Lady, disappeared in gusts of winds as Yoruichi tracked Itachi's location with the device she borrowed from Kisuke. 

Only she would have to wait for him to use his Reiatsu and for the device to be able to pick it up and point them in the direction it came from. 

….. 

[General POV]

It was nighttime when Itachi made his way into the 43rd District, and that was after a week of traveling, well he did slow down considerably as he wanted to reduce the risk of being spotted by Shinigamis. 

Between the 45th and 43rd District, Itachi had already seen two groups of Shinigamis on patrol so he knew he had to be extra careful in order not to let out too noticeable of a trail to be tracked. 

Given that he wasn't in the mood to look for a cave or an abandoned building to pass the night, he settled for one of the highest trees he could find and climbed it, resting against two of its closely-knitted branches with his sword resting against his shoulders. 

As a soul, he rarely ever felt the need to sleep or eat but he still did every now and then, and now he spent his time staring at the night sky of the Soul Society. 

"It's peaceful." He muttered. 

The moon, closely surrounded by a few stars and fleeting clouds, appeared as a calming view for all those who were watching it on this night. 

"It is. It represents the epitome of a calm and fleeting state, always perpetual, hence why it is referred to as a mirror." Tsukuyomi surprisingly spoke, its voice always calm, strong yet fleeting, just like the moon. 

"Because no one can mirror a calm state comparable to the moon?" Itachi asked and he heard the soft hum of the giant crow. Looking at the moon, Itachi nodded, "I guess you're right."

The view surrounding Itachi changed and the sky that was once a pure white moon and tiny stars turned into a bleeding red moon that shone a crimson light to the dark depth beneath it. 

The sound of crows cawing created a rather dreadful atmosphere but Itachi closed his eyes with a peaceful and calm look on his face, leaning against the stump of a mountain with crows flying around him. 

"But I find this one more peaceful." 

As if drawn to his words like a magnet, the rest of the seemingly illusory world dimmed its light and the moon focused its light on Itachi's sleeping figure.