"The heart aches most when it feels the burden of isolation." — Itachi Uchiha.
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Itachi looked at the report given left behind by Soi Fon. Central 46 were trying to make something stick. Keyword being 'trying'. The whole debacle with the Noble Families, the Bount, and them being unwilling pawns in Aizen's game made it a bitter pill for all families involved to swallow. Even Byakuya, as much as he tried to remain aloof to it, was affected in an almost visible way.
And then there was the whole thing with the Hōgyoku.
At the very least everyone was coming to accept it.
According to the Head Captain, the notion of sealing Itachi's Zanpakutō was presented as an openly viable option of making certain the Hōgyoku was truly sealed away and out of touch, but for some reason, it was brushed away.
'Looks like there are some favors speaking for me'
He had an inkling as to why such a thing wasn't even considered, but just as they kept silent, he too kept silent. Although grateful.
That was the only thing he was concerned about.
Whatever the Noble Families and their brand of rebels were up to, he made sure to keep a lazy eye open, knowing fully well that they would act up soon enough. Aizen's fiasco wasn't enough of a deterrent to them. On the contrary, it gave them a morale boost. No one – not the Shinigami, not the Noble Families, and certainly not the rebels – could deny that they were almost successful. Not in the way that they would have won, no, but in the way that they made a loud enough statement to others who kept silent while festering rebellious thoughts.
He has seen it once. He has seen it a hundred times. It never ends.
Morality and duty were often lost in the steps of hierarchy, but still, hierarchy was needed. Not just for the order it brought, but for the strength it kept. The Seireitei might not be perfect in any stretch of the word, but better it than anarchy.
He dropped the report and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He still had a lot on his plate, but for now, he had to take it slow. A calming breath, so to speak.
It was only now, in his peaceful respite, that he realized just how huge Aizen had hung a cloud over them despite not being around for quite some time. Or was that just how partially focused he was?
With the ever looming threat finally gone, in a way, the air felt freer.
Unfortunately, the peaceful journey he had embarked on along the grand line down memory lane came to an abrupt end when the door to his office swung open and Yoruichi came through.
His facial expressions didn't change but his thoughts certainly did. "I thought you had left for your family."
Yoruichi waved her hand dismissively, looking as casual as anyone could as she pratted about Itachi's office.
"Eh, I wanted to, but then they had to go ahead and send a damn reception to pick me up. Who do they think they are? Who do they think I am? Ha!" She folded her arms and pouted petulantly as she sat on top of his desk. "Anyway, what are you doing?"
"Nothing." Itachi answered. "That aside, you need to leave if you're not doing anything productive. You can't spend all your day lazing around, not in this Division." He told her seriously, only for a saucy smile to bloom on her face.
"Ho? So you want me working for you, is that it?" She laid across the table, face inches away from his before pulling away displeased. "You're no fun if you don't react at least a little, ya know."
"I have no time to entertain your silly games, Yoruichi."
She scowled a little. "After all this time you're still this uptight. So Soi Fon couldn't even help you loosen up a little bit, some Lieutenant she is." She complained as she hopped off his desk.
"Follow me." She said as she crossed the door. He sighed as he stood up and draped his haori over his shoulders.
"Where are we going?"
"Visiting a friend." She replied easily. "After that, well I guess we're visiting my clan."
"And why am I needed?"
"Because some idiots need to get it into their heads that you're the Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukidō, not me. Not Soi Fon. Not the Clan Head."
Itachi sighed. "You could have at least given me a heads up. I try not to deal with them as much as possible. And I can't in good faith use your brother as a buffer when dealing with the other Families."
Yoruichi snorted. "Hmph. Those self-deluded bastards require little to no forethought to deal with."
"Unfortunately, that is far from the truth."
"For you maybe." She laughed out loud, a thing Itachi was lost envious of when it came to her more than anyone else. How she could be so free – he had yet to understand.
It was so unfettered. So unbothered. To an Uchiha, to one such as he, it was almost an impossibility to picture himself this free. He could laugh. He could smile. But he doubts he could ever laugh this free.
"For the record, I'm not bothered, like at all, but why are you staring?" he heard Yoruichi ask and looked ahead.
"..."
"Come on, talk to me. I promise I won't laugh."
"Laugh."
"...Huh?" She looked at him in confusion.
"Whatever.... Don't stop laughing." Itachi simply said, not saying more than that.
She laughed softly at that, and it amused her somewhat that she laughed a little bit more. "Of course. Don't know what you got up in your head, big guy, but nothing is making this happy cat sad."
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...
The Shiba Compound.
That was where Yoruichi led him to. He had only been here once or twice so he had some surface impression of Yoruichi's friend, the Shiba Family Head, Kūkaku Shiba, and also younger sister of the 13th Division Lieutenant, Kaien Shiba.
"Look who the rain dragged in? A cat." Kūkaku mocked as soon as she caught sight of Yoruichi who simply laughed and appeared at her friend's side before locking her head under her arms.
"Who are you calling a wet cat, you drunk addict?"
Even without knowing why Yoruichi specifically brought him here, Itachi remained silent as the two of them dragged on into their conversation, sometimes drawing him in and sometimes blatantly ignoring his presence. He doubted she brought him out here to socialize, and she didn't.
From his own understanding, he understood that it was during Yoruichi's time as Clan Head that brought the Shiba and Shihōin Families closer, though it was a friendship that was mainly shared between the Clan Heads of the respective Families, but it seemed that behind this friendship stirred something that both Clan Heads (former Clan Head in Yoruichi's case) seems to have no problem discussing in his presence. He could only attribute it to Yoruichi.
Honestly, as much as she could annoy him with something as simple as her breathing, he also couldn't deny that sometimes she really lacked the subtlety a cat was supposed to have.
Having him here, especially when she was no longer Clan Head, was no different that putting Itachi in her place whenever any future dealings with Kūkaku presented itself.
"Eh, Captain Uchiha? Good afternoon." A surprised Miyako Shiba stood at the door with mild shock upon seeing Itachi and Yoruichi having tea with Kūkaku.
Itachi returned her greeting with a nod.
"Um, I just came to call big sis Kūkaku that dinner was ready and Kaien and Isshin will be joining us."
Kūkaku frowned. "What are those two big oafs doing? I'm going to kill them. You don't have to bother yourself for every little thing around here, Miyako. Honestly, you're the only good thing in this damned house."
"Hehe." Miyako laughed awkwardly. Well, what else could she do? She was fine with Yoruichi's presence, but how could she react with Itachi Uchiha in the room? Oh, she was very grateful to him for saving her back in Hueco Mundo, but the Captain himself made showing that gratefulness a very trying affair.
"Yoruichi, do I have to remind you that you still have to visit your Clan?" Itachi reminded, causing Yoruichi to click her tongue.
She couldn't be more obvious about not wanting to visit her Clan anytime soon, and unfortunately for her Itachi saw right through it.
Unlike her who could flip through being serious and being unforgivingly casual, Itachi couldn't become less focused even if he tried.
At least dinner was going to be a casually normal affair–
"Oh? Itachi! What are you doing here?" Isshin saddled next to him almost immediately.
"Following her." He said evenly, pointing at Yoruichi.
Isshin just laughed and slapped him on the back. "Well, none of that. Since you're here, and I'm here, we might as well make it a party."
"Now you're speaking my language, Isshin-yo." Yoruichi agreed with a full blown grin.
"Nice." Even Kūkaku joined in. "Oi, Ganju! Keep the barrels rolling."
He wanted to put a stop to it, or at least excuse himself out of it, but something stopped him.
Kaien and Miyako had on a helpless smile. Ganju, Kaien's younger brother, smiled stupidly as he rushed to get the drinks. Isshin, Yoruichi and Kūkaku were just smiling. Just pure meaningless smiles.
Maybe, just maybe, he could learn something new today.