Aftermath

"Uchiha, Itachi. Thank you for saving us." Itachi greets Aizen and Gin.

"With your skill, I am sure that you wouldn't have required our assistance." Aizen replies to Itachi. Itachi analyzes Aizen and Gin with his sharingan still active and thinks back to the hollow attacks.

"Captain Aizen and Captain Gin. I'm curious as to why they would send two captain class shinigami to deal with a hollow attack." Itachi asks as he looks at the captains. Gin maintains his sly expression as Aizen simply smiles before answering.

"Actually, It was a coincidence that we were both in the area. It was for part of an investigation that was ordered for us specifically to do but I can't go into heavy details on that which I'm sure you understand." Aizen replies calmly.

'No that can't be it...they were just standing there watching the hollows kill us. Captain Aizen is definitely lying. These two are definitely harboring ill intentions. It is illogical for two captain class warriors to coincidently be in this area. This was meant to be a training exercise, that is monitored by the barrier corp and the academy personnel, So the chances of the hollows appearing are already nil. Even if they are here by coincidence, it does not explain why they chose not to act when Tatsumi died. No matter what kind of realistic training it is, there should be no cause for death. With their strength they should have been able to save him with ease. Between the hollows attacking and these two captains showing up "coincidently," it would only make sense that there is some relation between the hollow attack and them. Captain Aizen...he is dangerous.' Itachi thinks as he stares directly into Aizen's eyes. Aizen stares back into Itachi's eyes intrigued by the unique pattern. At this moment, Itachi puts Aizen under a subtle time activated genjutsu. Aizen notices Itachi staring at him for an unusually long time.

"Are you alright?" Aizen walks up expressing his concern.

Itachi nods and thanks him for his concern. "I'm fine...the fatigue is catching up with me is all." Itachi reverts his sharingan back.

'Oh so his eyes aren't always like that? I wonder what secrets those eyes hold.' Aizen ponders before speaking to Itachi again.

"Of course, these hollows are not something students can normally deal with. I'm not an official exam proctor but we will conclude the field exam here given the current circumstances. Let us return to the academy". Aizen says before opening a senkaimon. Aizen and Gin pick up the unconscious bodies of Daiyu and Kanzaki before leading the class back through it.

"By the way, your eyes are very interesting. I have never seen anyone with such eyes in soul society" Aizen asks nonchalantly.

Itachi pauses for a moment to think about a proper answer as he would need to disclose enough information for Aizen to be satisfied but not reveal his actual power.

"My eyes are part of what is called a bloodline limit. They let me see fast moving objects in battle much easier and to some extent give me some predictive capabilities."

Aizen seemed satisfied by the answer and didn't question it further. When the group arrived they noticed Ounabara is already there waiting for the students arrive. The rest of the first years were also gathered, they were looking towards Itachi and Taro's group.

"I heard a real hollow managed to get into the field exam. It killed multiple barrier corps Shinigami, and 2 of the sixth years." The students murmured among themselves.

"What will be happening to the exam now. There is no way we can fight real hollows yet." The students continued their discussions before a voice interrupted their conversations.

"Silence!." Ounabara yelled out. "We will conclude the field exam here. Classes are dismissed for the rest of the day!"

Aizen and Gin are escorted by Ounabara inside the academy and they drop the students off in the nurse's office before going into the dean's office to explain the situation.

The other students slowly start to disperse from the courtyard. Itachi decides to go to the nurse's office to check on Kanzaki and Daiyu. Before he gets a chance to move, he feels a hand on his shoulder. Itachi turns around to see it is Taro.

"Mind if I come with you?" Taro asks without his usual energy. Itachi nods and they both go to the infirmary.

They arrive to see a few shinigami performing healing kido. One of the nurses notices them and tells them to wait outside. As they both walk back outside, Kenta approaches them.

"Taro! Are you alright! What about Daiyu?" Kenta asks with a worried look on his face.

"I'm fine...they are healing Daiyu right now." Taro replies. Itachi looked down the hallway to see Aizen and Gin walk out of the dean's office with Ounabara behind them. As they walk by, Aizen gives Itachi a light smile as they lock eyes before passing by. Ounabara stops at Itachi and tells him to follow him to the dean's office. Itachi complies while Taro and Kenta look at him confused.

Ounabara and Itachi enter the dean's office and Itachi is told to take a seat. An old man sitting at the desk in front of Itachi welcomes him.

"Hello Uchiha Itachi." The old man offers a warm smile.

"Headmaster Oshiro." Itachi bows his head in respect.

"Raise your head young man. What you did today was very commendable. Captain Aizen told me about your actions. You took down a powerful hollow by yourself and saved a member of the barrier corps. Ounabara and I talked briefly about your performance in class and have come to the decision to graduate you early from the academy. We believe that experience in the squads will be much better for you than the academy training. But graduation won't be for another two months. I also highly recommend you participate in the upcoming Academy tournament. There will be plenty of high ranking shinigami watching and you'll have a lot more options to where you'll want to join when you graduate. That will be all, you are dismissed."

"I understand headmaster. Thank you." Itachi is dismissed from the office and walks back out into the hallway. Taro and Kenta were no longer standing in front of the nurse's office. Itachi walks by to see a sign posted on the door saying "no visitors." He could sense the reiatsu of Daiyu and Kanzaki and was relieved they were still alive. Itachi walks across the courtyard towards his dorm but halfway across, he notices Itsuki out of the corner of his eye running towards him.

"There you are Itachi! I got back with the first group and was dismissed early but then I heard about what happened and then I couldn't find you!" Itsuki says frantically.

"I'm fine Itsuki." Itachi had an empty look in his eyes and Itsuki noticed. He decided not to pester Itachi anymore and Itachi walked back to his dorm. He laid down and thought about the events that occurred.

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The next day, classes were canceled and a memorial service was being held in the courtyard for the students who died in the exam. Itachi sees a picture of Tatsumi and the other 6th years being displayed in the courtyard. The scene of Tatsumi's death plays through Itachi's mind but he is snapped out of his daze by Taro approaching him with Kenta and a heavily bandaged Daiyu behind him.

"Itachi. I couldn't move against those powerful hollows yet you were able to fight one off and defeat it as all I could do was watch as my 6th year mentor was killed by them… Thank you for saving us." Taro suddenly bows his head to Itachi out of respect. Daiyu does the same and Kenta looks at them both shocked before joining in.

Daiki watches as Taro bows his head. 'Uchiha Itachi...so even my rival bows his head to you…' Daiki thinks to himself as he watches from a distance before leaving the courtyard.

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The next day, class resumed as normal. This time, Itachi himself showed up to class instead of sending his shadow clone in his place. Ounabara does his standard class greeting before starting a lecture about soul burials and the living world. After the lecture, Ounabara makes an announcement.

"The Academy tournament has finished its final stages of planning and will happen exactly two months from today. All years of students are eligible. There will be high ranked officials from the Gotei 13 appearing including lieutenants and captains who will be spectating. We don't have a full list of who will be showing up but the confirmed captains will be Captain Soi Fon and Captain Kuchiki. Brackets will be decided on the day of the tournament through a lottery pull system. I expect all of you to train hard and do well in this tournament for you are the advanced class and will help you be in good graces with the captains who are watching."

Ounabara dismisses the class and Itsuki and Itachi walk through the courtyard.

"Itachi I want to fight you in the final match!" Itsuki says to Itachi with a determined expression.

"You'll have to train harder then Itsuki." Itachi replies and Itsuki nods his head in acknowledgement. The two of them head to the training grounds and begin to spar with each other.