"Loneliness is this world's worst kind of pain." — Itachi Uchiha.
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Aizen and Gin walked together back to their Division with a difficult face and a tempting smile on their respective faces.
"Are you becoming too lazy, Vice? They almost got you there." Gin said as they walked through the empty hallway leading to Aizen's office. "They almost discovered your entire flare back there."
He was trying to incite Aizen by dapping his bruised ego to make him talk in order to know his thoughts and the plan he'd laid out.
Unfortunately for Gin, Aizen remained silent with his expression frozen to how it had been since they left the Head Captain's office.
Stepping into Aizen's office, a barrier Kidō came alive and Gin looked questioningly at Aizen, still with a perpetual smile on his face.
"So you can tell when you're being followed, eh Gin?" Aizen's voice came from behind a curtain in the other end of the room, where 'Aizen' was walking to.
Raising the flap of the curtain, Gin's smile was lost for a moment before coming back in full force as he gazed at Aizen, the real one, sitting on a chair and going about his Lieutenant duties.
"As expected of you, Vice. So tell me, how did you know to set such a piece in place?" Gin asked as he slithered to Aizen's side while the stand-in Aizen stood mute to the side. "'Cause I'll be real with ya; I was almost panicking when he pushed his blade into your body– it's body, I guess."
"Right. I'm sure you were." Aizen replied offhandedly as he looked up at Gin as his stand-in. "At least, it accomplished its duties."
He turned to Gin who was looking at him with what could be called a deceptively expectant smile.
"I did not count on the possibility that he could undo Kyōka Suigetsu's illusion – it existed, but I counted it as a rather miniscule chance. I'd say he subverted its influence rather than outrightly undoing it. Still, compliments where it is earned."
He saw Gin still showing that unnerving smile of his and pointed at the clone of him that attended the Captain's meeting.
"This," He stabbed his body double with his hands and watched as cracks appeared over its body before it disintegrated into Reishi, "is a Hollow I modified to mask Kyōka Suigetsu's Reiatsu in the event of something like this happening."
Gin started snickering much to Aizen's displeasure and it got louder and louder until Aizen decided to keep quiet until he finished laughing.
"And pray tell, 3rd Seat Ichimaru Gin, what you find so amusing?"
Gin broke out into another snickering fit before composing himself and bowed his head in an overly gratificating manner. "My dearest apologies, Lieutenant Aizen. You know, it's not a crime to admit when someone unknowingly slipped you up."
Aizen immediately lost interest when he heard what Gin had to say. "And here I thought it wasn't something this stupid. That aside, what were you thinking letting yourself be tailed?"
Gin shrugged nonchalantly. "He's too good. I couldn't spot him at all and it was my instincts that told me I was being followed."
"And yet you question me for inadequacies." Aizen retorted.
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[POV: With Itachi]
Itachi, Soi Fon, Hiyori and Sōjun were led to the back seats of the large theater that was the courtroom of Central 46, away from the Captains who were presenting their cases to the judicial panel.
Itachi was tempted to use his Sharingan but his discipline wasn't that lacking that he couldn't do away with such thoughts and also any ability of any kind was strictly forbidden inside Central 46.
The Central 46 was a group of 40 smart men and 6 judges gathered from all over the Soul Society that acted as the main ruling body of the Soul Society, not the Five Great Noble Houses, under the direct mandate of the Soul King and no one else's. They possessed the highest power – judicial, legislative and executive authority – in all things concerning Souls, Shinigami and Hollows and their decisions were rarely overturned or taken back.
Sitting back here and reviewing what he knew and the little he was recently told by Sōjun, a very kind man who despite his status was polite to everyone.
Soi Fon, who sat beside him, had all her attention on Yoruichi who was up on the podium and answering the questions asked.
After all the Captains presented their cases, the Lieutenants involved were called and questioned extensively, with Itachi being asked to release his partial Shikai, both of them, and his true Shikai as well as his Sharingan and listing all his abilities and even showing them off.
"His Zanpakutō should be confiscated, at least until this matter has been resolved. We can't take any chances with something as delicate as this." One of the men, all hidden behind numbered plaques, said after minutes of silent contemplation.
While his expression remained unchanged, unknown to all except two women, his thoughts however were hovering between two choices that depended on whatever the Central 46 decided.
Even if the panel of Central 46 weren't fully composed of ex-Nobles, Itachi's bias just didn't let him see a situation where men with such power would ever decide on something that favored him.
Another one however objected to the first's words. "I would agree but we have confirmation from all the Shinigami from Captain rank to 3rd Seat that it was his blade that managed to identify the illusions that were recently activated."
That sent the panel into another round of murmuring and they once more discussed Itachi's case, their voices muffled to his ears.
After some time, the murmuring ceased and it was now time for the six judges to pass their first verdict concerning Itachi in this case.
"3rd Seat, Itachi…."
…..
After the first hearing everything went back to normal, at least on the surface, but the Onmistukidō and Kidō Corps were hard at work. With the subtle inclusion of the Noble Houses, this was a very sensitive case for everyone involved.
For Itachi, this meant something else.
Unlike what most would think, this was the perfect chance for anyone chaotically inclined to push forward any plans they have. His movements were restricted quite a bit, due partly to suspicion and partly to the importance of his Shikai.
"Tachi-tachi, you're spacing out again." He was shook out of his thoughts by a bundle of pink that appeared out of nowhere. "Are you bored? Kenny likes to fight when he's bored."
Itachi shook his head and stood up with Yachiru hanging loosely off his shoulders. "There's something I have to do, Yachiru."
'It would have been better if you could've gotten them to release their Shikai.'
'I doubt the Head Captain will agree to such a request, especially one coming from someone as insignificant as me.'
"Nuh uh. Come on, Tachi-tachi." She pulled his face towards a specific direction and urged him on. Itachi absentmindedly followed her while frolicking in his thoughts.
He was going after whoever was after him. Hell to the restrictions placed on him. Slowly and steadily, he was creating spy points all over the Gotei 13. All it would take is a little while and large amounts of effort but he knew, surely he'd have a bird's eye on the Gotei 13.
"I'm afraid I can't accompany you right now, Yachiru." He said as he nudged Yachiru who threw a backflip off his shoulders.
"Since you're already here, why not stop for a while." They turned and saw Unohana flanked by other Shinigami from her Division, with Itachi realizing where Yachiru had pulled him to.
"Re-chan!" Yachiru waved happily, while the Shinigami around Yoruichi stumbled to greet her. After all she had a certain reputation in the 4th Division when it came to her status of being from the 11th Division, being it's Lieutenant, and being Zaraki Kenpachi's partner. "Tachi-tachi, Kotetchin makes the best tea. Even better than yours."
Unohana dismissed her subordinates and beckoned Itachi and Yachiru to follow her.
"You shouldn't bother yourself with receiving us, Captain Unohana. We are hardly important guests." Itachi said but she just slowly shook her head.
"I wanted to have a conversation with you for some time now, Itachi. This is just a lucky chance since I have no pressing patients in my ward." She said.
Itachi looked questioningly to her, wordlessly asking what it was that she might want to talk to him about but she didn't reply and just led them to a room Itachi was familiar with in his few times being here.
'A soft interrogation perhaps?' He thought inwardly, not fully trusting anyone in the 13 Divisions – not that he ever did.
"So what is it that you wanted to talk about, Captain Unohana?" He asked after sitting down and served tea by the comely Captain.
Unohana sat down and stared directly at Itachi who hadn't touched his tea, a serious variation of her calm look expressed on her face as she began.
"Whatever it is that you might think regarding past or present situations, I'd rather you don't favor the choice of defecting or turning rogue like you plan to do."
Itachi looked at her, then at the stunned Yachiru, and then back at her again and sighing before putting his blades on the table and regarding her with the same look she was giving him.
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