"Disappear. My sword does not exist to crush insects like you." — Byakuya Kuchiki.
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While Itachi couldn't just leave his Division at such a time given that his Lieutenant and Fifth Seat suffered an assassination attempt on the same day, that didn't mean that his options were limited.
While he much preferred the basic Clone Jutsu, or even a variation like his Exploding Clone Jutsu, over the more energy extensive Shadow Clone Jutsu, there were times where the Jutsu showed it perfect utility. Times like these for example.
He used approximately twenty percent of his Reiryoku in the formation of the clone as anything overly under or above might garner suspicions.
A Shadow Clone complimented by a Transformation Jutsu, engaged with precise control of Reiatsu like his, created a simple application of techniques that only those with Reiatsu control equal to or greater than his could hope to see through the simple guise, and that was if they were focused on him.
He took on the physical appearance of one of his obsolete subordinates and went in the direction the last report letter specified.
The traitor in the Kuchiki had been found, at least one of them, an elder of one of its branch families. As for the Kasumioji, it was surprisingly the nephew of the current Head. Neither of the traitors had said anything, resolute in keeping their words to themselves, but he knew that would soon change. The Kuchiki would no doubt send for him after getting all that they wanted from him. He also doubts that they would allow him to interrogate the elder.
His main body could enjoy playing the part of an attack hound. As for him, he was fully confident in his agents perfectly carrying out their tasks and yet for some reason he couldn't get rid of this nagging feeling every time he received a new update.
And since he gave none of them the order to interfere with the Kuchiki group, apart from the Tengu who was to act only on certain conditions, his presence here would give them a lot of wiggle room to also monitor the Kasumioji and the Tsunayashiro.
And besides, his target wasn't the Kuchiki group. With that group being under the survey of the Snake and Tengu, there was little that could go wrong, and even less that they couldn't handle.
He slowed down as he passed through Kuchiki territory, coming to a full stop at the edge of a cliff with a high vantage point over the rest of the forest that stretched out for miles.
Just as Itachi arrived undetected, so also did the Snake that stood directly behind him.
"Any foreign development?"
"… Hardly." The reply came out so soft and muffled that it could have been mistaken for a murmur.
As for how the Snake had identified him… well that was between them.
They watched in silence as the Tengu followed the group into a carefully set up ambush.
Regardless of his bias against the Kuchiki, Itachi wasn't lacking in morals that he would knowingly send a group of oblivious Shinigami to their death.
The Snake had done a good job in picking off the stray scouts that were supposed to attack the group's flank once the ambush was set off. With the Tengu there, helping them narrowly escape death without being noticed was not much of an issue.
Taking his eyes off the squabble for a second, Itachi looked in the direction of the Kuchiki Estate and one of the gates.
They were drawn quite the distance from the Kuchiki Estate, he idly noted.
'By getting rid of the group they would have alerted the Kuchiki of their general direction. The joint coalition of the Kuchiki Shinigami and one of the 13 Divisions, mine no doubt, would be able to sniff them out after that.'
Casting another glance at the rebel group that was slowly beginning to panic after seeing their ambush thwarted and gradually being pressed to a losing end, Itachi slowly noticed a discrepancy.
"… They are tying a noose around their necks either way." The Snake's voice came, even and muffled, but Itachi could feel the slight confusion that came with the realization.
"They took a risk." He said. He was pretty sure he knew he had figured out what they were doing, or rather aimed to achieve with such a play.
"They are the sacrificial pawns." He elaborated to the Snake behind him who, though slightly curious, remained wholly indifferent. "It is a calculated move. The Kuchiki are currently on high alert with the Patriarch's main family being suspicious of everyone. This group," He pointed at the group that was slowly being whittled away, mostly due to the Tengu's covert efforts, "came out here with only one job: to draw out the Clan Head's attention."
Itachi stopped his words there knowing that the Snake was smart enough to piece together the major reveal from the available clues.
He could feel the Snake's attention now staring piercingly at the remnants of the ambush party.
If they had succeeded with the ambush the Kuchiki would then be forced to reply in kind, which meant pointing the Gotei 13 at the rebels, and while the Kuchiki and the Shinigami will be focused on what they thought to be the rebel group, the real rebel groups that were currently lying low inside their own Clans would then use the opportunity to either complete their goals while everyone else was blindsided, or simply hatch out their escape.
The Snake made a two finger seal and held it for a couple of minutes before releasing the seal and nodding at Itachi.
Itachi made no comment on his actions. The Snake was a cunningly smart individual, easily the smartest out of all of Itachi's direct subordinates.
"It is a solid plan." Itachi praised truthfully. "It perfectly drew in the eyes of anyone who so much as paid it any modicum of attention, even ours."
The only reason he suspected it was because of his presence as an eyewitness and the fact that their ambush was guaranteed to fail with the interference of the Tengu's. The question at that point was what would they have done then?
Isolating themselves in such a remote location, away from the Kuchiki Clan that still functioned as a camouflage for them, appeared unwise.
Also a few of the strays taken out by the Snake were moving outward of the ambush circle. 'Messengers, I believe.'
"Bring me the leader."
The Snake did not linger and immediately went to retrieve (rescue – objectively defined) the leader of the wiped out group. It took him a second to decide the most efficient course of action, another second to set off a small blast to create a dense smoke screen, and a second more to grab the stunned man and leave – a perfectly executed getaway, at least it seemed that way to the Shinigami of the Kuchiki.
He returned shortly after to Itachi with the still confused man stunned and held in place by a Kidō spell.
The man barely had time to get out of his confusion as his body tension slacked when he met Itachi's eyes.
Itachi tore his eyes away from the glazed-eyed man, his expression as serene as the still surface of a tranquil pond. Without a word, he turned around and left, leaving the clifftop empty once more.
He had gotten nothing of importance from the man, a typical occurrence in loyal pawns. They only knew what they needed to know. At least he confirmed the identity of another elder.
…..
He left the Seireitei for the Rukongai, heading towards the location where the leader and his group were supposed to rendezvous.
He changed his appearance to the haggard one of the leader, playing the act of an injured and exhausted runaway perfectly.
Upon arriving at the location, he only had to wait for 15 minutes before someone finally came to meet him. After securing the vicinity and making sure he wasn't followed no doubt.
"You made it. Where are the others?" His liaison asked with a frown on his face.
Itachi shook his head pitifully. "The three of us were the only ones that managed to escape." He gestured at his two companions who were in an even worse state. One of them only had a severed stump on his left side and looked like he was inching closer to death with every passing second.
"I see." Their liaison said indifferently and hastily urged them to follow.
Unaware of the grave mistake he was making, the oblivious and haughty liaison led them to where another particular group, mainly from the Kuchiki, were holing up and waiting for their next order from their leaders.
From the looks of it, the core of the rebellion from the Kuchiki side were in another hideout, currently making their way over here.
With his seamless infiltration, all Itachi had to do was wait for a little bit and his curiosity would be answered.
Whether or not all this was simply just about some Sacred Relics, and if it was, did the core group succeed or not?
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