Crows x Souls

“They say you take your personality to the grave. Well, I’ve already died once. I intend to honor it.” — Itachi Uchiha. 

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Itachi sighed at the girl dangling happily around his neck. And though he tried to understand her, all he could see was just a child that loved hanging around Zaraki Kenpachi.

‘Hmm. This is just perfect, Itachi.’

‘What do you mean by that, Amaterasu?’ He asked, stopping briefly atop a roof near the 7th Division. 

‘That woman was quite strong, stubborn too, but she couldn’t ever beat me in my own realm so that doesn’t count. But this oaf is the perfect opportunity for us to burn darker.’

‘He’s also quite fast. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him use any technique. Zaraki Kenpachi – An enigma even amongst Captains.’

“Oh, are you finally going to fight Kenny, Tachi-tachi? Yay~” She exclaimed cheerfully. “Hurry up, Kenny. He wants to fight!”

He felt the intensity of Kenpachi’s Reiatsu grow stronger, likely having heard Yachiru’s words. 

Itachi was never one to enjoy the prospect of battles, fights or even disputes of any kind, but meeting Amaterasu let him know that always avoiding these things weakened her flames. Peaceful resolution was always the best choice, Tsukuyomi would agree, but violence was necessary if it didn’t work, as Amaterasu would agree. 

Stepping back, Itachi employed Shunpo this time and led the grinning Kenpachi outside the gates of the Seireitei. 

….. 

Aizen and a few Shinigami were making their way past the Southern Red Hollow Gates of the Seireitei along with their Captain, Hirako Shinji, when a few of them felt Itachi run past them. 

They didn’t pay much attention to that but had to reconsider when Kenpachi rushed past them with a grin and his chaotic Reiatsu knocking out the weaker Shinigami. 

“Captain Hirako…”

“Aye. That’s amusing for a few reasons.” Shinji smiled airily. “Kenpachi will give up if his opponent keeps running away from him.”

He was midway with waving off Aizen’s concern when they felt the faint collision of Reiatsu. 

“You were saying?” 

“Don’t be smug with me, Aizen-ya.” He said before leaving with Shunpo. 

“You guys can go on ahead, and take those knocked out to the Fourth.” Aizen said before following his Captain. He was also surprised at the higher level of Itachi’s Reiatsu as he drew closer to where they were. 

‘A natural genius. But sadly, that’s all there is to it.’ Flowing and leaving came and went his wistful thoughts; also a little expectant on seeing Itachi’s Zanpakutō in action. 

…… 

Stopping at a spot he thought he thought was a considerable distance, he unhooked the child around his neck and set her on the ground. 

“Best to step back, Lieutenant Yachiru. This might be dangerous for you if you’re near.” He said. Even if she was a child, he still gave her the basic respect of addressing her with her title. 

“Just call me Yachiru, Tachi-tachi, since we’re friends now.”

“Friends?” 

“Of course we’re friends. You’re not running away which makes Kenny happy. And I’m happy if Kenny is happy.”

“I see. Then Yachiru, mind stepping back?” He calmly unsheathed his blade from its black sheathe and turned around to block Kenpachi’s sword, meeting the grinning visage of the man with his neutral one. 

“Good! Good! Your Reiatsu tells me you can cut me.” Kenpachi retrieved his unnaturally chipped-edged long sword and started swinging wildly at Itachi, “But show me how deep!”

[A/N: Most people overlook this simple fact that was clearly shown but Kenpachi is one of the best swordsmen in the Bleach verse. Easily Top 5 if not Top 3.

He defeated Unohana who is stated to be unparalleled in her swordsmanship when he was a child, and yes he sealed his power in the process, but that doesn’t or shouldn’t make him suddenly weak… but his fight with Ichigo(-_-) … I blame Kubo. 

At this time, Kenpachi is still recently new to the Seireitei and it hasn’t been long since he became a Captain so a century of not fighting anybody strong hasn’t dulled his blade all that much. He killed a Captain quite easily after all.] 

Itachi evaded and parried another wild swing, but this time with a frown. ‘Immense spiritual and physical strength but no skill. And yet…’

Itachi quickly realized just how crazy Kenpachi was and why everyone stayed away from him. All the man cared about was killing him first, nothing else mattered. Not his opponent cutting him or his life. 

‘And they called Hidan a madman.’

“Come on! Stop dodging and fight back!” Kenpachi said with an angry expression on his face. 

‘Itachi…’

‘I hear you.’ 

Kenpachi smiled as he saw Itachi finally looking serious. 

Itachi held the blade’s edge in his hand and slowly drew out the blade, drawing blood with his actions. 

“Consume All(Zenbu Shōhi), Amaterasu — The Undying Flame of a Desolate World.”

(Kōryō to Shita Fumetsu no Jigoku no Sekai.)

He released Amaterasu for the first time and as soon as he did, he felt something burning inside him. It wasn’t the heat of flames but something more intense. 

The passion of flames. 

The release command for Amaterasu caused the blood on the blade to turn black which then turned into small black flames that swallowed the whole sword and turned it pitch black. 

“Hmm? Is that your Shikai? I thought it was something else.” Kenpachi was confused but a second was all it took for him to realize that it didn’t matter. “It doesn’t matter. Now come and cut me.”

“Are you not going to use yours?” Itachi asked. Was he also like Yoruichi? Or did he feel he could take him on without his Shikai? 

“Oh, my blade doesn't have any of the fancy names or forms yours do. It’s just a blade for killing. Nothing more, nothing less.” Kenpachi had grown tired of the pointless talks and attacked with as much careless abandon as he always did but Itachi was more than ready. 

‘If he doesn’t care for his sword then do him a favor and burn it.’ He heard his flames say but he reminded himself to be careful. 

Unlike Sasuke, he had absolutely no control of Amaterasu and this would be his first attempt to do so. 

His sword clashed with Kenpachi’s and for the first time, Kenpachi’s grin faltered and he immediately took a step back. 

“That blade of yours is weird. Fascinating.” His grin returned but initially he had been confused as to why he would retreat but grinned as he realized that it might mean that Itachi could kill him. 

Itachi however discovered something. ‘It can burn Reiatsu too. Slower than it does Chakra, but it burns it still.’

Unlike ninjas, as soul beings, Shinigami were naturally covered in their Reiatsu which meant that to kill them, you had to be able to get through it. 

‘Of course I can burn it. There’s nothing I can’t burn, but that depends on you.’

To stoke the Undying Flames with his passion. 

The blade in Itachi’s hands ignited in black flames that the spectators quickly realized wasn’t emitting any heat. 

“So that’s it, huh. It was burning away the Reiatsu around my sword.” Kenpachi noted smilingly as he took off his eyepatch. The brat was more than capable of withstanding his intensity. 

His already enormous Reiatsu skyrocketed and covered him in a golden haze of pure spiritual pressure, contrasting the black haze that was flowing around Itachi. 

They both ran at each other and clashed again and again. 

“Black Haze.” 

“Kenny!” Yachiru screamed as a plume of black flames almost covered Kenpachi, who was lucky to have retreated when he did. 

He was no longer smiling, only looking warily at the black flames as something within him actually reacted to danger, especially whenever his sword met Itachi’s. 

‘This is tiring to use consistently.’ Itachi thought. 

‘Of course it would. You’ve barely ever used my flames and it is originally only meant for when you unlocked your Bankai or Mangekyō.’

He had barely used it extensively and yet he was already feeling the drain it was causing him. 

He had been careful enough not to mistakenly kill Kenpachi with a cut but holding back while trying to maintain constant control of the flames was taxing to an inhumane degree. 

‘That’s enough for now.’ He wholeheartedly agreed with her on that. ‘Now you know just how much you’ve severely handicapped yourself.’

He nodded. He knew first hand just how much more dangerous the flames could be if he trained to master them, but he also knew that they were ways to stop the flames; and he knew Amaterasu knew that too. 

Sealing was one way, which meant Bakudō was valid. At least the sealing spells on the top tiers. 

Dodging them too, but that was obvious, even if not everyone could. The faster Captains, he thought, could dodge them especially if they were expecting it. 

Another way and the most dangerous was concentrating a very huge amount of energy on the point of impact and being fast enough to escape in the instant before it burned through it. 

Itachi canceled his Amaterasu release, much to Kenpachi’s surprise. 

“Is that it? Are you done?” He asked, already getting irritated. 

Itachi felt that was enough, especially since he had been fighting Yoruichi less than an hour ago and he was extremely tired. 

“Almost, but no.” He sheathed Amaterasu and pulled out Tsukuyomi, confusing the hell out of Kenpachi. 

“You have two Zanpakutō?” 

“Yes. Now, let’s continue; Terase, Tsukuyomi.”

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