Three days later…
"All right, now," said Minerva from the sidelines, "You know what to do. Three…two… one… go!"
Itachi's eyes narrowed. The world suddenly flew by in a whirlwind, and the next second later he was completely across the training yard. Looking down at the ground, he allowed himself a small and satisfied smirk when he saw the black mat beneath him.
Right on target.
"Excellent!" cheered Minerva as she clapped, "You've really got this down! The only student I've ever seen perform Shunpo better than you at this stage is Lady Yoruichi. She'd be proud to see how far you've come with your technique."
Itachi bowed. "You flatter me, Miss Minerva."
His teacher shook her head. "Hardly. Just ask Lady Yoruichi the next time you see her; flattery's not my style. You truly are a talented young man. I must say, I'm almost reluctant to let you return to the Academy; I'd love to see how much further you could go under my individual instruction rather than have you go back to the classroom."
"I think you're putting the cart before the horse," Itachi replied, "I still have to pass the Head Captain's test tomorrow."
Minerva smiled. "Trust me, you'll be fine. Just give the test as much focus and determination as you have your training under me, and I'm confident that you'll succeed."
Itachi nodded. "Thanks. Do you know how the Head Captain will structure the test?"
"I have only the vaguest outline, I'm afraid," she replied, "There will be a written portion and a physical evaluation. Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine."
"I see," said Itachi.
Minerva came over and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Don't overthink it. You'll only stress yourself out if you worry about what's beyond your control. There won't be anything on the Head Captain's test that you haven't gone over with me already. The Head Captain's firm, but he can be fair as well. In fact, with everything that I've seen, I wouldn't be surprised if the Head Captain tries to recruit you into his division once the test is done!"
Itachi shook his head. "I'm sure that would be an honor, but from what I've learned since my education here began I don't think that Squad One would be a very good fit for me. Rules and regulation have their place, but the Head Captain's division seems too rigid when compared to some of the other units."
"Well, that's to be expected," Minerva replied, "The Head Captain is the most powerful and renowned Soul Reaper in existence. Naturally, the members of his division are expected to maintain the utmost degree of professionalism and honor in their conduct. The bar's set higher there than any other unit of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads."
"Honor and professionalism are all well and good," Itachi argued, "but based on everything you've taught me, Squad One appears to be a bit too focused on doing things by-the-book. They also don't get as much time out in the field when compared to other units. In fact, the division seems more like an administrative entity than anything else."
"It's true that Squad One is more involved with the day-to-day running of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads as a whole than other units," Minerva admitted, "Given the size of the Soul Society's military, a certain level of bureaucracy is inevitable. All divisions have their own internal paperwork to attend to, but Squad One is the unit that they ultimately file it with, and thus it's charged with coordinating and overseeing all the others. Squad One answers only to Yamamoto and the Central Forty-Six, and if you think the Head Captain's division is stiff, trust me; the Central Forty-Six are orders of magnitude worse."
Itachi nodded. "Duly noted."
"All that considered, don't brush Squad One off as just a bunch of paper-pushers," Minerva cautioned, "They may not get as much field time as the other units, but they make up for that with a strict training regimen. Besides, they've still got both the Head Captain and his Lieutenant leading them, and the two of them are incredibly powerful. The Head Captain himself has seen more battles than any other Soul Reaper in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, and old age hasn't slowed him down a bit."
"So I've heard," said Itachi.
Minerva smiled. "You know, it's not often that he's willing to personally evaluate an individual student. Lady Yoruichi may be your lead advocate, but the Head Captain wouldn't have gone along with this if he didn't see true potential in you."
"It'd be hard for him to see much of anything, considering we haven't met yet," Itachi deadpanned, "The closest we came to that was his address to the student body at the start of the schoolyear."
Minerva raised an eyebrow. "And you don't think that the marks you received in class prior to the soul fracture would've caught his eye? Or perhaps you don't believe that Lady Yoruichi and Captain Unohana witnessing you and Jiraiya taking down a Hollow unarmed and with no Soul Reaper training is something that might earn the Head Captain's attention?"
"The Thirteen Court Guard Squads weren't always here," said Itachi, "I've certainly learned that much from my time at the Academy. The same goes for Zanpakutō and even the Soul Reapers themselves, yet the fact that souls were able to survive the depredations of Hollows before then would seem to indicate that people were still able to fight and defeat them."
Minerva nodded. "You are not wrong, but those times were far more brutal than the present day. Yes, people were still able to defeat Hollows, but those victories often came at great cost. The rise of the Soul Reapers and the Thirteen Court Guard Squads should be enough to tell you that a greater form of protection was needed."
"I do not dispute that," Itachi replied, "but if the Head Captain truly is as old as everyone believes, then I imagine he has met others in the past who were able to defeat Hollows without Soul Reaper powers at their disposal. What Jiraiya and I accomplished may be rare these days, but I doubt it's unheard of. There's also the fact that the two of us were barely able to defeat one Hollow, and three more showed up immediately after that one was killed. Were it not for the intervention of Captains Yoruichi and Unohana, Jiraiya and I would not have survived."
"Quite true," said Minerva, "but thanks to them, the two of you did survive, and you are here now. Lady Yoruichi believes that there is a great deal that the two of you can offer the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, and I am inclined to believe her. It should not surprise you that others feel that way as well."
"You say the two of us, but I seem to be the one getting the special treatment," Itachi noted, "I don't see any special tutors for Jiraiya, yet he and I were at the top of our class together before the soul fracture."
"It is precisely because you suffered the soul fracture that my services became necessary, remember?" Minerva countered, "Were the situation reversed, who's to say that Jiraiya would not receive the same treatment from Lady Yoruichi? You may be the one that's truly caught her eye, but make no mistake; she has high hopes for both of you."
Itachi's eyes narrowed. "If she would help either of us, then why do you say that I'm the one that she's really focused on?"
Minerva smiled as she looked past him. "Why don't you ask her yourself?"
Itachi turned around to see none other than Yoruichi and Soi-Fon standing at the edge of the training yard. "How long have the two of you been here?"
Yoruichi smiled as she stepped forward, her bodyguard trailing behind her. "Long enough. How's it going, Minerva?"
Minerva gave her a polite bow. "Very well, Lady Yoruichi. It's good to see you as well, Soi-Fon."
Soi-Fon gave her a curt nod. "Minerva."
The Captain of Squad Two then turned to Itachi. "So, you want to know why I've taken a particular shine to you?"
"It would be nice to get some clarity on that," Itachi admitted, "Don't get me wrong; I am grateful for all that you've done for me. It's just… well…"
"Why you, out of all the other students I could've chosen to give patronage to?" Yoruichi finished for him with a knowing smirk, "I've got an eye for talent, Itachi. Sure, Jiraiya landed the killing blow on that Hollow the night we met, but I was honestly more impressed with you. The way you moved and fought, coordinating with your ally while playing to your strengths… you may not have been trained in the art of fighting Hollows, but you handled yourself impeccably all the same. I could tell that you were something special, and you've only proven me right since then. In fact, I don't really think it's possible to put it into words, so why don't I help you demonstrate through action just what I'm getting at here?"
"What do you have in mind?" he asked.
Yoruichi grinned as she shed her haori, revealing her black sleeveless and backless outfit while her right hand slipped down to her Zanpakutō. "Fight me. Right here, right now. I won't use Shikai, Bankai, Kidō, or anything else. Just Zanjutsu."
"Lady Yoruichi, you shouldn't!" Soi-Fon protested, "You're too reckless!"
"As much as I'd like to watch the two of you spar, Lady Yoruichi," said Minerva, "I believe that would be unfair to Itachi. Even without Shikai or Bankai, we all know that you'd easily win."
"It's not about winning or losing," Yoruichi replied, her gaze locked on Itachi, "Just like it wasn't about winning or losing the day you challenged me in your Hakuda class, Itachi. It's about discovering just how far your skills have come. What do you say? Care to dance?"
Itachi could not help but give a small smile; there was something about the playful energy in her eyes that he just couldn't say no to. "All right."
The two of them stepped out into the middle of the training yard. As they drew their Zanpakutō, Itachi saw Minerva and Soi-Fon move off to the side. He turned his gaze back to Yoruichi, who held her short sword in a reverse grip.
She gave him a devious smirk. "Ready whenever you are, Itachi."
Itachi turned to Minerva, who stepped forward and raised her arm. She looked back and forth between Itachi and Yoruichi for a moment before commencing her countdown.
"Three…two…one…go!" she barked.
Yoruichi surged forward like a bolt of lightning. It wasn't a Flash Step, but it was still incredibly fast, and Itachi was barely able to bring his sword up in time to block her opening strike. While successful in preventing her from scoring a winning hit right off the back, he didn't have time to congratulate himself; Yoruichi's first attack was just the initial move in a sequence of strikes, a rapid-fire blitz designed to overwhelm his defenses. His sword weaved through the air like a thing possessed as Itachi defended himself from her punishing assault.
My sword's longer than hers, so I have the edge in reach, he thought as he backpedaled and deflected her blows, but a smaller sword can be used with greater speed and precision, and offers more flexibility as well. She's got all of the above and more…
It quickly became apparent that Yoruichi's particular style of Zanjutsu was much more acrobatic in nature than that of his fellow students. She leapt, flipped, rolled, and more, refusing to attack along a single axis. Her agility and flexibility were on full display here, and Itachi could only marvel at her balance and control. For all her hops and spins, there wasn't a single moment where she let her momentum get the better of her. She was in complete command of her body and blade, and it was all Itachi could do to keep her from overwhelming him with her speed and mobility.
Leaping into the air, she did a somersault over his head and came down behind him, lashing out with her sword before her feet even hit the ground. Itachi parried the strike, but before he could counter she struck again, and he was barely able to deflect the attack. She might not have been going all out, but even while holding back she very much remained a force to be reckoned with.
And Itachi loved it.
On the surface he appeared as calm as ever, but inside he could not deny how much he was enjoying the chance to spar with her again. Their fight in his Hakuda class had never been far from his mind during his training bouts with Minerva, but getting to cross swords with her was something new entirely, a breathtaking experience that Itachi wanted to savor. Her moves were so unlike those of anyone that he had sparred with before, with a catlike grace that emphasized her efficiency and precision. His advantage in reach meant nothing in the face of her experience and skill; she was in complete control of the match, and they both knew it.
Regardless of the gap in skill and the knowledge that he didn't have a chance at victory, Itachi's eyes still searched for the slightest of openings even as his sparring partner continued her relentless assault. No fighting style was perfect; every technique had a flaw, a gap in its defenses, big or small, and Itachi was determined to find it here. He could not go this entire fight without at least once seizing the initiative for himself, and if nothing else he wanted to make sure that his opponent got to enjoy herself as much as he was.
After a few more seconds of blocks and deflections, Itachi finally found what he was looking for. Rather than directly parry Yoruichi's next strike, he ducked instead, allowing her blade to slice through the air just above his shoulder. He then brought his Zanpakutō up and thrust forward, forcing her to pull her weapon back to redirect his attack. Itachi didn't let that stop him; he pivoted and whirled, adding centrifugal force to his follow-up strike. Yoruichi once again blocked the attack, but Itachi was able to press the assault; at last, he was on the offensive.
He struck hard and fast, launching a swift sequence of slashes and cuts. Yoruichi deflected every one of them, and the way she hopped back and forth from one foot to the other made it almost feel like she was dancing as she fended off his attacks. She was grinning as he continued to push forward, eagerly evaluating him, studying his moves and trying to figure out just what else he had up his sleeve.
She laughed as she parried blow after blow. "Now this is more like it! Come on, Itachi! Show me what you've got!"
Itachi happily obliged her. He pushed forward, determined to make her sweat this round. Up and down, left and right; his Zanpakutō was all over the place. Variety was the spice of life, as the old saying went, and that was especially true for a swordfight. Unpredictability would be the only way for Itachi to keep his foe on her toes, but that was definitely a case of easier said than done. After all, even with his considerable skills and prior combat experience, it would be all too easy for him to unconsciously fall into a pattern that Yoruichi could eventually recognize and exploit. Feigning randomness and mixing things up was much harder than most people believed. One couldn't just swing their sword about wildly like a drunken lunatic; even in such a mad frenzy, eventually a pattern would emerge whether the wielder wanted it to or not. As counterintuitive as it sounded, randomness had to be calculated.
So Itachi did precisely that, or at least attempted to. A burst of thrusts here, a flurry of slashes there; whatever he could think of that would keep her guessing. Alas, despite his best efforts, not once did she betray even the slightest hint of being caught off guard by his moves. Hers was the confidence of a lioness that had its prey dead to rights; she was only waiting for the right moment to pounce.
That moment came when Itachi overextended himself on a thrust, and Yoruichi instantly seized it. With a deft flick of her wrist, she redirected his strike, and a split-second later her blade was at his throat.
She smiled as she held her Zanpakutō just a centimeter over his skin. "Even better than I'd hoped for. Minerva's worked wonders with you, Itachi."
"I'm afraid I can't take all the credit here, Lady Yoruichi," the instructor chimed in, "After all, he has been practicing with the spirit of his Zanpakutō as well."
Yoruichi nodded as she withdrew her blade and sheathed it. "Of course. How's that been going, Itachi? Making any progress with your Zanpakutō?"
"Not with regards to her name," Itachi replied as he put his sword away, "but our sparring matches are as intense as ever."
Yoruichi gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Give it time. You'll be able to hear her name soon enough. Hell, I'm impressed with how far you've come in just the last month. I hope you can see now why I've invested so much time and effort into you; it's not every day that a Captain takes the time to spar with an Academy student, you know."
Itachi bowed. "I appreciate everything that you've done for me. I promise I won't let your efforts on my behalf go to waste."
Yoruichi smiled again. "I know you won't. You're ready for tomorrow, Itachi. I can't wait to see the look on the Head Captain's face when you ace his test!"
"Forgive me, Lady Yoruichi," said Soi-Fon, "but I don't think that a test administered by the Head Captain himself is something to be taken so lightly. Itachi, please remain vigilant."
Itachi nodded. "I will."
Yoruichi sighed. "It's too bad you're not part of the squad yet, otherwise I'd take you out drinking after a match like that. I'd probably drag Kisuke and Soi-Fon along for the ride too, now that I think about it. I bet you'd be pretty fun to hang out a bar with, Itachi."
"I don't know about that," Itachi replied, "I didn't drink all that much when I was alive, and that hasn't changed since coming to the Soul Society."
Yoruichi grinned. "Trust me; we'll fix that as soon as you graduate!"
Minerva rolled her eyes. "No offense, Lady Yoruichi, but sometimes you sound like Captain Kyōraku. I don't think that his is an example that your parents ever wanted you to follow."
Yoruichi laughed. "Oh, lighten up, Minerva! You know that I don't drink nearly as much as he does!"
"Perhaps," Minerva replied with a smile, "but I do worry sometimes. You are the Shihōin Clan's princess, after all; you have a position beyond your rank as Captain to consider, you know."
"You don't need to remind me," said Yoruichi, "I get enough letters from my parents regarding that as it is. Don't worry; I've never taken the partying too far."
"I don't think the partying's really what your parents are concerned about," said Minerva, "but I suppose you would know that better than I."
Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Is there something that I'm missing here?"
Yoruichi shook her head. "It's nothing; just stupid noble family politics. Don't worry about it, Itachi."
Itachi was curious, but he knew when to back off. "Very well, then."
The Squad Two Captain turned back to Minerva. "Well, do you have anything else in store for him today?"
Minerva shook her head. "I've covered everything that I can possibly think of. He's as ready as he can be for tomorrow."
Yoruichi smiled as she turned to Itachi. "Glad we're on the same page, then. Well, nothing left for you to do but rest up until tomorrow, Itachi. Make sure you get a full night's sleep, all right? If I know the Head Captain, you're gonna need it."
Itachi nodded. "Will do."
"I'll see you tomorrow, then," she said with a wink, "Sweet dreams, Itachi!"