Chapter 100 - Prodding A Snake

"It's been so long that I forgot the pain of not having a name. Everyone had a name that friends use to call them, but I didn't." — Kenpachi Zaraki.

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Kenpachi was not having a good day… and wasn't that an understatement of the century? The start of his bad moods was very obvious, even to the members of his own Division, and to someone who could easily hold a grudge for a hundred years with no problem, the course he took with it was both expected and disastrous for those involved, i.e basically the Eleventh.

"If you understand the pains of not having a name, then maybe you'll understand how that sword you hold feels."

Those were one of the last words Itachi had said to him the last time he tried challenging the Lieutenant, a challenge which the latter promptly declined.

And where did that leave Kenpachi? Intense duels with his Division's Shinigami that sent most of them to Fourth almost on a daily basis. He got so frustrated that he further held back so that he could be injured and could immerse himself in the otherwise unfair battle.

Had it not been for Yachiru calling it to a stop, the death toll would have been a few digits more than the three wastes that died.

So Kenpachi and Yachiru, Captain and Lieutenant, hefted the beaten and battered bodies of maimed Shinigami to the Fourth to receive treatment.

"Captain Zaraki, what a pleasant surprise."

"Tch. Retsu." The perpetual scowl on Kenpachi's face deepened at the arrival of an old memory. "I don't need any buttering up, but they do. Don't want them dying like flies on me."

"I'd be surprised if you did. Still, this is… surprising if I might say. Anything bothering you?"

She could tell a story based on the slash wounds on their bodies and one thing she could see that was almost a constant in all of them was frustration. Something that, while rare, wasn't exactly a new thing in her fellow Captain's character.

"Just make them strong enough to hold a sword by the time they leave." Kenpachi said his piece and left without another word.

Unohana briefly wondered what that was about as she walked down the hospital halls of her Division, attending to some of the more severe patients as she did, until she came across Yachiru dropping off some of the wounded Shinigami.

"Ah, Re-chan. Sorry for the traffic."

Unohana smiled disarmingly at the childlike Lieutenant and waved it off.

"Did you see Kenny?"

"I did. I think he's outside waiting for you." She replied and called out to Yachiru who was about to leave. "This is in no way any of my concern, but there's something different about Captain Zaraki. Do you know what?"

Yachiru tapped her lips in thought for a moment before brightening up with a huge smile on her face.

"He's trying to achieve his Shikai… finally."

Unohana watched in stunned surprise as Yachiru hopped happily away. She remained there, transfixed for minutes, before a soft smile – that wasn't quite one – appeared on her face.

"Itachi…"

....

[World of the Living]

Kisuke frowned as he looked at the gate-like device in the middle of the room.

"What do you think about it, Tessai?" He asked.

The burly man with dark shades on looked at the device before turning silently to Kisuke who visibly deflated.

"Right? That's what I thought." A small flare of Reiatsu covered his hands which he waved, making the device disappear.

"You think he made it out of Hueco Mundo in one piece… or even at all for that matter?" In a rare expressive show, his joviality slipped away from his face for a moment which Tessai caught.

"Possibly. Yoruichi seemed to think so."

"Hmm."

"You don't trust her words?"

"Au contraire." He scratched his chin while waving his hand languidly. "I probably trust her words on more occasions than I do mine. But the thing is Itachi is just a Lieutenant, a very talented one, but a Lieutenant nonetheless. With only a Shikai to boot."

He looked at Tessai with a mildly critical look. "We both know how dangerous Hueco Mundo is."

Tessai paused, his eyes behind his glasses gaining a shade. "You're right. That… is worrying. They are worrying."

"That they are. Arrancars and Vasto Lorde." He said before shrugging away the slightly tensed mood. "I doubt he'd come across any though, given how rare they are."

Just then, they heard a crow's caw and turned to see a crow perched atop the bark of a dead tree, looking at them.

"Hey Tessai, what are the chances that that is just a normal crow?" The ex-Captain asked with a wide grin.

"1%."

"Close, but I'll take it."

...

Itachi slowly opened his second eye from where he sat on the other side of the human town where Kisuke and the other defectors were hiding.

"Looks like they'll be moving soon." He was a bit surprised that they still remained there for this long after being found out.

He looked around, eyes stopping for a brief moment on something, before he stood up and slowly dissolved with the wind.

...

[Soul Society]

Coincidences of situations that align so perfectly was something that was hard to come by, so when it did Itachi immediately caught onto it and used it as best as he could.

With his clone acting as a substitute, his main body was free, to an extent, to act as unrestrained as much as he was able to. And that was what he did.

With the perfect decoy out in the open, he dug deep into his list of suspects for those likely to be allies of Aizen, and unlike before, this list wasn't focused on the most suspicious Shinigami, instead the opposite.

He might have never directly opposed Aizen but the little things he knew of the man, from their own small conversations and what he's heard from Yoruichi and Co, let him paint a mental picture of the type of man he was dealing with.

A manipulator through and through: the persona he wore was a complete opposite and so mundane that it bordered on naturally average.

For his potential allies, Itachi concluded that Aizen's comrades would copy his trait to certain degrees, both great and small.

A prime example would be Ichimaru Gin who seemed to be at odds with his Lieutenant, as well as his generally shifty attitude towards everyone else, at first glance. But Itachi knew for a fact that Gin was Aizen's partner in some ways.

Fortunately for Itachi, and unfortunately for Aizen, Itachi's suspect list wasn't as extended and broad as it used to be due to everything that had happened and was tied in a way back to Aizen. Itachi concluded that, just like Aizen, they were talented and of considerable position for them to easily target both the Captains and their Lieutenants.

Which meant that they were either of Captain status, or were Lieutenants down to the 5th Seat.

"It's time to stir up the nest."

…..

Gin scowled in extreme distaste and disappointment as his blade left the body of the last standing Shinigami of this small scouting group.

Manipulating the data on Hollow activities in the Soul Society was not easy but trust that man to find a way, and an easier one at that.

Controlling the mortality rate was the same as controlling the data of Hollow activity and Gin was the one who was charged with ensuring this whenever that man wanted.

"Couldn't even put up a decent fight." He scoffed and kicked one of the dead bodies away.

"Hopefully there's someone that'll at least put up a fight." Ever since he came across Rangiku over a week ago, his false jovial mood plummeted even more that it started leaking into his mannerisms.

"Dishonoring someone's corpse, be it an ally or an enemy, is generally seen as a despicable act." Soft steps echoed out of the curtain of trees, greatly startling Gin as he didn't sense anyone approaching.

Upon seeing a hint of who this might be, he instantly moved into action – his sword aiming straight at the heart… and his aim was true, but that made him feel worried even more.

"A-and those who raise their blades against a comrade… are fated to not die a good death."

Gin frowned and swiftly pulled out his blade and turned around while slicing off Itachi's head.

"Tell me something I don't know." His slit eyes were open and reflected a cold light as he looked around cautiously, knowing just how much trouble this could potentially land him in. "How about coming out, eh?"

"So you are that eager to die huh?"

Gin's smile stretched across his lips in an unsettling fashion as he tilt his head to look behind him.

"Got quite the mouth, dont'cha?"

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