"I have never liked squad camaraderie. I feel that for training purposes, a measure of antagonism between superior and subordinate is essential." — Soi Fon.
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Today was one of those days where Itachi taught at the Shin'ō Academy. This class of his was rather unimpressive but that was just the perfectionist in him talking.
His class, Ethics and Morals, was a pretty controversial one seeing as how it usually didn't have an already written syllabus and it mostly depended on the teacher teaching it to impact his views and opinions of Shinigami morals and ethics into the younger students.
And like every young generation, most of them found the class boring and uneventful. They would rather prefer learning how to fire a new Kidō spell or honing their Zanpakutō. Easily forgetting that morals and ethics was what build character, character that refines discipline, discipline that promotes growth.
Despite his position as the Captain of the 2nd Division, the Supreme Commander of the Onmistukidō, the Shin'ō Academy's lecturer for Ethics and Morals, Itachi also retained his position as the General Supervisor for all combat exercises. Thankfully it wasn't a position that needed him to be there every time as everyone of the supervisors knew how to do their job.
He was currently walking to the training grounds which were usually filled with the fourth to sixth year students at this time of the year when he heard a commotion.
When he arrived he saw a scene of one of the fourth year students at blade's end with one of the fifth year students.
"Explain." He said to the person in front of him.
Shūhei flinched when he saw Itachi right behind him watching the sword fight that was slowly escalating.
"Um, it was a little training session that got rather heated between those two." He replied instantly.
"I see." Itachi watched for a brief moment, moments where Shūhei began wondering if no one else was seeing him as no one was paying any attention in their direction, before turning around to leave.
Shūhei stuttered confusedly. "Are you not going to stop them, sir?"
"They are fatigued. If they fail to even realize that then they will only end up embarrassing themselves." Itachi said and left the training grounds.
As he walked back to the 2nd Division, he thought back to what the Captains had discussed among themselves a few weeks ago.
Itachi had been of the opinion that they should make communications with the Visored and get a clearer understanding of what happened to them. They owed them at least that much, he reasoned.
While the general opposition brought forth was more or less a mirror situation and could put whosoever was the envoy in danger, Itachi proposed the idea of at least two Captains going to meet the Visored.
The Visored are right to be distrustful and wary of them, given the past between them and the Shinigami but Itachi hoped that a mutual understanding could be reached between the two parties on the ground that both parties were equally deceived by Aizen.
While the notion became mostly agreed upon once that became pointed out, it then remained which two Captains will be going on behalf of the Shinigami to speak with the Visored.
No one objected to Itachi going, so all that remained was to pick who the other person tagging along would be.
The Head Captain was a no-go. Itachi believed the Visored would bolt the moment he stepped through the Senkaimon. Kyōraku, Jūshirō, Unohana and Kenpachi also couldn't go. One was too violent and bloodthirsty for any kind of diplomatic meeting and it would send a similar message as with the Head Captain, one was too sickly to be put in a possible hostile situation, while the other two were more than content with sitting this one out.
Mayuri was also out. It was more likely that he would intentionally instigate them into attacking just so he would have a legitimate reason to capture at least one of them for experimental purposes.
The only viable choice was between Isshin, Byakuya and Sajin. Isshin was a generally loved Captain, Sajin was a subordinate to the former Captain of his Division and while Byakuya didn't personally know any of them, they all knew him due to his status and his grandfather's time as Captain of the 6th Division.
Itachi personally would've chosen Isshin except the decision was not his to make. And also, the reason why they didn't immediately set up the meeting with the Visored was so as not to send the wrong message. It was all politics and social cues.
"I also seem to have gained the attention of a hostile Captain." He muttered to himself when he passed by a group of Shinigami from the 6th Division.
Ever since that fateful day, an event that was wholly credited to Kenpachi's lack of tact and consideration, Byakuya became even more frosty when it came to anything Itachi-related.
Normally, his wounded pride was not so easily bruised but after being compared to Itachi's standards by not just his grandfather but also his teacher during his younger days of training, and also being plainly stated as weak compared to Itachi by the Madman of the 11th Division, Byakuya was more than ready to prove all the misconceptions wrong.
He had yet to come out and say he wanted to fight Itachi but Itachi could already read the signs. It was inevitable at this point and honestly was a headache to deal with.
Personally he didn't care where his strength stacked up against the rest of the Captains. He knew he was stronger than some and weaker than some. But then again he understood all too well the importance of noble pride.
The headache-inducing part of all this was that should Zaraki hear a word of him fighting Byakuya of all people, he would attack Itachi the very next moment he saw him, whether in public or in private – he wouldn't care.
He arrived at the same time as Soi Fon who was coming back from a mission with a few members of the Onmistukidō.
"They look quite battered. Was it much trouble?" He asked.
Soi Fon waved her hand as she fell into pace with him. "Not at all. They were annoying is all."
She paused for a moment and frowned before complaining. "That Tengu of yours is annoying. He has gotten so good at concealing himself that it is almost impossible to signal him out from the normal surroundings."
"I noticed."
She snorted. "Of course you will. I guess years spent trying to cheat those eyes of yours were not in vain, and by that I mean anyone that isn't you."
She agreed totally with Junpei that those eyes of Itachi were the most cursed object she's ever seen.
"Oh how I missed this." She sat on her chair and murmured in satisfaction. The distinction between the image she was currently portraying and the one she wore in every other time was one no one other than Itachi has ever bore witness to. Not even Yoruichi.
Junpei had seen her relaxed and jovial but even then she always maintained a degree of seriousness since she was in the presence of her junior.
She could give Byakuya a run for his money for the most straight-laced Shinigami with how she normally behaved.
"I think I've finally got it." She said suddenly with a grin spread about her face.
Seeing Itachi looking nonchalantly confused, she said one more but with more context.
"Bankai." It was a single word but it explained everything, only her smile faltered at the end.
"You seem happy but you don't seem content." Itachi pointed out to which she chuckled self deprecatingly.
"I don't know what I expected but what I envisioned for my Bankai is nowhere as close as what it truly is. Its limitations are unlike any other and it is not at all suitable for my fighting style."
Itachi wanted to speak up but she stopped him by raising up a hand.
"I know what you want to say, I do, but trust me, it does not compliment me at all."
Itachi conceded the point he was about to put up choosing to believe Soi Fon's words for what it was.
"But answer me this: is it enough to be used as a trump card?" She nodded. "Very well. Then that is all there is to it."
Seeing her looking conflicted he brought up a point she seems to have forgotten in the disappointment of her Bankai, whatever it was.
"As far as I know, you have never been fully reliant on your Zanpakutō's ability. And if I remember correctly, Yoruichi never relied on her Zanpakutō abilities or the boost it gave to propel to the position of Captain. You already have a way to fight, whether or not your Bankai compliments it. All you have to do, all you can do, is continue forward. It is not as if you can't compete with a Captain without your Shikai or Bankai."
Yoruichi, Aizen, Kenpachi and to a lesser extent, him. Their Zanpakutō abilities weren't exactly what propelled them to the level of a Captain. She also confirmed that her Bankai could be used as a trump card so it wasn't entirely useless.
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