Chapter 53 - Itachi, the Shinigami

"Knowledge and awareness are vague, and perhaps better called illusions. Everyone lives within their own subjective interpretation." – Itachi Uchiha.

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It has been five years since Itachi was born in the Soul Society and four years since he joined the Gotei 13 as a Shinigami in Yoruichi's 2nd Division under special circumstances.

Wearing the standard Shinigami shihakushō but with it being longer and wider that it functioned as a robe that hid his full body, Itachi was currently alone in the World of the Living cleansing Hollows in a densely populated rural area.

Stepping on a Reishi platform in the middle of the sky, his red eyes scanned the area below and picked up the last remaining bits of Hollow Reiatsu, prompting him to move into action.

Against these lower level Hollows with subpar Reiatsu control, Itachi had no problem in getting rid of them and quickly to the next.

"That should be the last one." He said to himself after performing a last survey. "Though I think there's been an increase in Hollow activity recently."

[3rd Seat Itachi, we're picking up no Hollow activity in your area. The Senkaimon is ready for your return.]

He heard the voice of a personnel from the 12th Research Division at the same time as he saw the Senkaimon opening in the sky.

As for his position as 3rd Seat, there was little he could do in refusing Yoruichi for so long that she became annoyed and just signed his name for the position.

For Itachi's peace of mind, his position as the 3rd Seat didn't mean all that much and there was little to no duties tied to the position. They were more of a rank of strength than anything.

'Just a little more.' He thought as he went through the Senkaimon.

For the last few years, Itachi focused most of his time in perfecting his synchrony with his Zanpakutō and while he had only heard Amaterasu's voice once(confirmed by Tsukuyomi), he knew he was now closer than ever to finally being strong enough to wield both his Zanpakutō spirits.

With these years that he focused solely on Tsukuyomi, his control and utilization of Tsukuyomi's illusion was now levels above what he was able to do before.

He also realized that though not completely, his Zanpakutō also manipulated his victim's Reiatsu to some level, making it even harder to break out of his Illusions.

The best illusions were the ones that weren't distinguishable from reality – from all his former illusions, Izanami was the one that was closest to being a perfect illusion, according to Tsukuyomi.

Izanagi on the other hand, was the one that Tsukuyomi deigned as the pinnacle of Illusions. A truly god-like technique that made reality into an illusion with the only thing stopping Tsukuyomi from calling it the greatest of all techniques being the limits and conditions of its application.

Itachi wondered what would be its effects now that he was using an energy more potent than Chakra.

'It is definitely stronger than it was during your life. But the cost is still something that I'm unsure of.' Tsukuyomi had replied when he questioned it.

He only hoped a situation won't arise where he'll be put in a situation to consider it.

No one knew that his Zanpakutō was a twin spirit type because both spirits would have both awakened during his attainment of Shikai, but they didn't and only Itachi knew why.

Theoretically speaking, Itachi had a level of innate synchrony and familiarity with his Zanpakutō spirits that he should have achieved Bankai, not a perfect one but he was already at the threshold of the level of connection needed.

It was just that the container that was his spirit body was not at that level, and the Reiryoku needed was still below the required level.

The reason for this being the very nature of his eyes, the Sharingan – specifically the Mangekyō Sharingan – that he unlocked during his life.

Since his Mangekyō served as the spirit nature of his Zanpakutō, and given that he had unlocked them before and his familiarity with them, in a way he already had an understanding of the nature of his Bankai.

"3rd Seat Itachi, I see you're back from your mission." He paused his walk as he came across Lisa Yadōmaru with two Shinigami behind her.

"Lieutenant Yadōmaru, greetings."

She brushed aside his formal way of speech and nodded politely at him. "I was about to visit the 2nd and 4th Division."

"I see. Any particular reason?" He said as she caught up to him. With Captain Kyōraku being one of the people he was closest to during his time as a Shinigami, he had grown a bit familiar with the man's Lieutenant.

"It's our turn to teach some of the older students at the Academy. I say teach but it's more like accessing the level of their skill in respective areas." She explained as they walked together. "Members of different Divisions cover specific areas of the assessment."

Itachi said nothing as she explained, only silently listening until they got to where they separated.

"Should I tell the Captain that you might be stopping by tonight?"

"Don't. I just returned from a mission." He said as he went towards his house.

Like all workers, Shinigami too were also paid given that they also had needs and wants of luxury and comfort as living beings. Getting an apartment at one of the open areas of the Seireitei was one of the things he did with the money he had saved up.

Staying in the barracks was fine, but it felt too public to someone like him.

"Oh and I heard Captain Zaraki is being his usual self again. He already beat up Lieutenant Kaien and tried ambushing the Fifth's 3rd Seat Ichimaru."

Apart from his first time escaping Captain Zaraki, the battle maniac Captain had only sought him out twice after that so he wasn't that worried about the man.

Sighing as he entered his small abode, he thought about how almost nothing seemed to have happened in the three plus years since he became a Shinigami.

Things quickly grew stale around here, he realized, that almost everything seemed to become a routine.

After taking a bath to cool off, Itachi looked at his reflection in the mirror and noted that his hair had grown rather long but he just kept it tied up in two knots like he always did.

Even without being thirty yet, his face was aged and the resulting lines of stress were clearly seen across his face.

He cooked a simple meal for himself and took his time, aware that he was yet to give his required report but still took his time as he knew that Yoruichi was likely buried in paperwork.

When he finally arrived at her office, hours after his return, he was met with a pointed glare from Soi Fon but ignored it and took his seat where a few papers were arranged.

He had found himself being promoted to an office assistant after rising to the rank of 3rd Seat so he had to help with her workload when it came to the Division, whatever it may be.

"Instead of trying to stab him with your eyes, why don't you use Suzumebachi, Soi Fon?" Yoruichi asked. It would have been fun to watch if only she didn't know the outcome.

"So?"

"Nothing serious. Hollow activity picking up a little." He said offhandedly as he read the papers on his desk, pausing as he came to the last one that he held out to Yoruichi. "What is this?"

She replied just as offhandedly as he did. "Nothing serious. Just listed you as one of the combat instructors for the academy assessment."

"Hakuda?" He asked again, tentatively.

Yoruichi managed a shrug while squinting some reports she held. "It's what we are specialized in; that and Hohō."

"And Marenochin?" Itachi asked about the gaudy and pompous Lieutenant that was purely at that rank because of politics.

Yoruichi waved it off as she stood up and adjusted her haori. "Don't worry, he's got his own work cut out for him."

She walked to the corner of the office where a bunch of luxurious and comfortable cushions were laid out, and plopped herself down, yawning relaxingly as she did.

"I see a few Lieutenants here." He pointed out.

"And? Embarrass my Division in front of the other Lieutenants?" She scoffed at the thought of her fat and slightly competent Lieutenant disgracing himself and her. He was strong, yes, but not a competent Lieutenant.

"Just my luck then." He dropped the report he'd written on Yoruichi's desk and turned to leave.

He briefly wondered if it would have been better had he been another Division instead of the Second but couldn't come up with an answer.

If he had known Yoruichi would saddle him with more work, he would have taken his time in the World of the Living. Lieutenant Yadōmaru likely informed her of his arrival and in one of her petty streaks, listed him for more work because he just so happened to be free when she wasn't.

Thinking about his next assignment, he couldn't help but remember someone he hadn't seen in three years.

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