“Your comrades are there to make up for what you cannot do and to prevent you from ignoring things that you actually might have been able to do.” — Itachi Uchiha. 

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[POV: With Kenpachi Zaraki] 

Kenpachi Zaraki was hands down the number one anomaly of the Soul Society as far as Shinigami goes. Hailing from the depths of the most dangerous Districts of the Soul Society, the Northern Rukongai Districts, in tow with his Lieutenant, Yachiru Kusajishi, nothing else was known about them except rumors of Kenpachi leaving a trail of cut down opponents who were too stubborn to leave him alone after he spared them. 

By coming down to the Seireitei and becoming a Shinigami and becoming a Captain almost immediately, Kenpachi caused a stir in Gotei 13 with his arrival. 

With Reiatsu that could hardly be matched by any other Captain, along with cutting down a renowned Captain without anything but his chipped blade, his potential was blatantly seen by everyone. Unofficially, he was known as the strongest Captain among the Captains of Gotei 13. 

A lot of decisions were made by the whining council but Kenpachi didn’t care at all, he didn’t need them to teach him anything as he believed his strength was enough. 

His strength had always been enough to overcome anyone and anything, or it should have been, until he met Itachi.

Illusion and flames – nothing impressive in Kenpachi’s eyes as he has cut down numerous people with the same abilities over the centuries he’s lived. 

Except Itachi, someone way weaker than him, even now, forced him to retreat. The question was why? 

He, who was looking for a glorious death battle, retreated when he came face with something that might actually kill him if he slipped up. Even when he tried to run through those black flames, something would always stop him and force him to dodge or retreat, angering him even more. 

Even now, he was still stronger than Itachi, yet he couldn’t beat him because of those flames. 

He could blow them away and suppress them with his Reiatsu, but he obviously couldn’t do that every time in an intense fight. 

“That sword is as much your own strength as the power in your hands. If you can reject the power of your own soul, why stop there? Why not reject your cherished blade also? The light in your eyes, the power in your limbs, the hard skin you wear, the overwhelming Reiatsu you are so proud of; why not reject all of them? The reason you can’t is because the moment you do so, Kenpachi Zaraki will cease to exist.”

“Tsk! A lot of preaching for a self-righteous bastard.” He snorted angrily. Always easily triggered whenever he remembers those insulting words. 

For the first time in a very long time, Kenpachi desired more strength. And not because he wanted to defeat someone stronger, but because he wanted to defeat someone weaker than himself. 

‘Why was he so fixated on Itachi?’, some would ask. 

And to that the answer was simple; why search to fight someone stronger if he couldn’t beat someone weaker than himself?

For the first time in forever, Kenpachi looked at his longest companion in dissatisfaction. He frowned as he held the extra long chipped blade, the hold on his Reiatsu coming undone. 

He tried forcing his way into the sword to see if it was really holding down his strength but nothing happened. 

“What are you hiding from me? Show me now!” 

VWOOOM. DRRRRRNG. 

His Reiatsu tried attacking the blade but nothing just seemed to happen. As if his Reiatsu was just washing over the blade’s surface like water. 

“To hell. I’ll just find someone else to fight.” He said with a last huff of annoyance before turning around to leave. 

….. 

In another part of the Seireitei, Itachi and Soi Fon were just coming back from reporting to the Head Captain, who was now the de facto decision maker of the Captain-less Divisions, and having a slow conversation as they did. 

“How far off are you?” Soi Fon asked, her meaning clear to Itachi. 

“Still a ways off. It’s not as if anyone can achieve it just because they decide they want to.” He replied. Unfortunately, soul growth wasn’t the same as learning a jutsu or a new Elemental Release. 

Soi Fon nodded. “I am on the cusp of… something; I can feel it. But Suzumebachi is being difficult and not answering me right now when I need her to.” She said, sounding annoyed at her free nature Zanpakutō spirit. 

Itachi only listened, saying nothing to that last bit as he perfectly understood how complicated the relationship between Shinigami and their Zanpakutō spirits could be. 

They soon came across two people on their path who had stopped to look at them, specifically Itachi. 

“Good morning Captain Kuchiki, Young Master Byakuya. Can we help you?” Itachi greeted the two nobles that suddenly appeared in front of them on their way out. 

Itachi was very much aware that the old Captain wasn’t exactly approving of his status as a Shinigami but respected him enough that he never made an issue out of it, except on a few occasions where he gave his own personal opinion. 

“Good morning to you too, Lieutenant Itachi and Officer Soi Fon.” Ginrei responded, politely returning the greeting. He looked at the young Byakuya beside him, permitting him to speak his mind on why he wanted to speak with the two Shinigami. 

“You were the retainer of Lady Yoruichi, swearing loyalty and dedication to her service, were you not?” The young Byakuya spoke; curiosity, noble pride, disapproval and judgment in the words that he directed at Soi Fon. 

“If you really were her right-hand, you should have been made aware of her involvement with the traitor; and if you truly weren’t as you so claim, then that means she didn’t trust you enough, hence your loyalty comes into question.”

Itachi saw how effectively Byakuya’s words were affecting Soi Fon but said nothing as he believed Soi Fon was smart and mature enough to defend herself. 

“What are you implying, scion of Kuchiki?” Soi Fon barely spoke those words out without apparent anger glossing over them, her fist balled so hard that they turned white and almost split open. 

“I believe it’s quite simple.” He replied, “As a retainer, what do you believe is more important – loyalty or duty – and when does morality come into play?”

A teaching experience, Itachi understood as he saw Ginrei nodding slowly in approval at Byakuya’s question. 

He looked at Soi Fon and held a sigh, his expression never once shifting since the beginning. This was a question she’d asked herself years ago when the incident happened. 

Why did Yoruichi not tell her? And if her Lady did tell her, would she have gone alone with it? The former was a case of lacking loyalty, hence Yoruichi’s lack of trust in her, while the latter would put her morals and duties in question depending on what answer she came to. 

Seeing Soi Fon unable to speak, both nobles shook their heads in disappointment and no longer spoke to them as they walked right past them. 

“Noblesse oblige.”

They halted their steps and looked back at Itachi whose words had stopped them. 

“Noblesse oblige.” He repeated, “The reason why those below look up to nobles is because it is expected of nobles to uphold these high morals – fair and perfect, impartial and righteous – in all they do.”

Byakuya frowned, confused on why Itachi was bringing this topic up, whereas his grandfather, Ginrei Kuchiki, looked at Itachi with pleasant surprise, as did Soi Fon. 

“It is because of these lofty standards you are held up to that you, as nobles, are held accountable first in event of any wrongdoing perpetuated by your subjects. In the event that a noble, like in the case of Yoruichi Shihōin, fails to uphold these standards but their subjects do, is it not then that the subject is more noble than the Noble?” 

Loyalty. Duty. Moral. He lived his whole life debating which was the most noble to live by, and he had gotten the answer at the end of his life. 

What good is your loyalty and duty if your morals are immoral? 

He no longer looked at the young noble and instead looked at Ginrei, letting him know that his next words were directed at him. 

“You can be loyal and duty-bound to the wrong people and reasons, but your morals are instantly called into question with every wrong you do.” He tapped Soi Fon on the shoulders and they started walking away, leaving the two nobles standing in shock and surprise.

“Instead of questioning Soi Fon, question yourselves on why one of you stopped being ‘noble’.”

When the two left, Byakuya turned to look at his grandfather with conflicted emotions on his face – part angry and part confused by the reply he got. 

“Noblesse oblige. Do his words hold true, grandfather?” He asked, half hoping his esteemed grandfather would rebuke Itachi’s presumptuous words, instead the reply he got from his grandfather was a question of its own. 

“Everyone has the answer in them, and that answer tells you who you really are.” The old man said, inquiring further of his grandson. “What is your answer, Byakuya?” 

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A/N: I know the story has slowed down a bit concerning a part of the plot, mainly towards the confrontation between Itachi and Aizen, and on Itachi’s part there are a few reasons why; first being he’s nowhere near strong enough to beat Aizen, he has no single proof against Aizen(except the words of presumed traitors), and no one knows what Aizen has planned. He can easily fool everyone, including Itachi, with a fake Shikai if Itachi suddenly confronts him, and him doing that will make Itachi lose what little credibility he still has in his position as a Shinigami. 

The same thing happens if he goes along with Yoruichi and Kisuke and defects. First, he will be repeating the same mistake he did when he was alive. Second, how will they stop Aizen then? Other than uselessly waiting idly by and letting canon play out almost the same way it did. 

On the other side of the coin, my part as an author, I’m using this period to set the base for important characters for future chapters and show what kind of relationship Itachi shares with these people, and how it all comes full circle in the story. 

Thoughts and concerns? Feel free to drop them. 

Quack out.