Itachi Rebirth: A Shinigami Tale

Back at the Thirteenth Division

Itachi returned to the Thirteenth Division barracks and dropped Rukia off at the infirmary. He checked on the other shinigami to make sure they were okay before heading back to the office.

The next day, Itachi sat in the office, signing more papers, when he sensed Rukia about to knock outside the door.

"Come in." Itachi said firmly. A bandaged up Rukia entered and closed the door behind her. Itachi makes a gesture for her to take a seat. As Rukia sat down, she began to apologize.

"Lieutenant Uchiha. I'm sorry for the way I acted yesterday on the mission. I shouldn't have left my squadmates behind and because of that, I jeopardized their safety and my own. I thought I could redeem myself for Kaien's death but…" Rukia stops talking.

"Kuchiki. I wasn't there to experience it but I was informed about the details of Lieutenant Shiba's death. I understand you did what you did because you feel like you weren't strong enough to keep him from dying. However, you will become stronger if you are able to forgive yourself and accept what happened. From what I've been told, you are strong willed but tend to keep your feelings bottled down to yourself. But no matter how strong you may be, don't take it all on yourself. Because if you do, you will surely fail, as what happened on this mission. In order to fulfill your duty as shinigami, remember that your comrades are at your side." Itachi said to Rukia, who was listening to him intently. She replied with a nod as she had no words to respond as everything he said was true. Rukia stood up and turned around towards the door but Itachi stopped her.

"One more thing before I let you go." Itachi adds on. "Lieutenant Shiba's life didn't end when he died. He cared deeply about his squadmates and those who were close to him. His life will only end if you lose faith in the division he left behind."

Rukia pauses and looks back at Itachi with tears in her eyes.

"Thank you Lieutenant." She said before leaving the room. Itachi gave her a soft smile back as she exited.

Itachi looked back down at his desk with a lingering thought in his head. 'When Captain Ukitake told me about the hollow that killed Kaien Shiba...why are there hollows that are able to kill even lieutenants?'

Itachi pushes the thought to the back of his head as he continues on his paperwork.

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Over the next five years, things were quiet in Soul Society. The amount of strong hollows appearing in Rukongai were still a problem but it was nothing the shinigami of the Gotei 13 couldn't handle. During this time, Itachi honed his skills with Kido, Hakuda, Hoho, and Zanjutsu. Despite his diligent training, he still was unable to imprint on his zanpakuto and communicate with it. He disregarded it and continued training his other skills.

One morning, Itachi sat in the office with four shinigami standing in front of him. Itachi had just finished giving them their mission briefing before they left for Karakura Town to investigate a hollow disturbance.

"Yes Lieutenant Uchiha!" The shinigami reply in unison as they leave the room and head to the main Senkaimon. Itachi looked back down at his desk and continued his paperwork.

An hour passes and a hell butterfly flies into the office. Itachi looks at it in confusion as he reaches his hand out for the hell's butterfly to land on. Itachi's eyes widen as he receives the message. He grabbed his asauchi and vanished from the room, making haste to the Senkaimon to go to the human world.

Itachi arrives on an empty street in Karakura Town. The area reeked with the smell of blood. Itachi looked around and saw the limp bodies of the squad that was deployed. Itachi tried to sense their spiritual pressure but could not. Instead he sensed a strong, sinister spiritual pressure down the street. Itachi activated his sharingan and looked at it. It had a black hollow mask and was relatively humanoid with a white body. However, it's hollow hole was filled and it had two blades for arms.

'What is that thing?! It looks like a hollow but it feels like a shinigami…' Itachi doesn't make any sudden movements as the hollow remains standing down the street from him. Suddenly the hollow lets out a deafening roar and dashes towards Itachi.

Itachi is surprised by its speed but was able to react to it thanks to his sharingan. Itachi pulls out his sword and blocks the arm blades of the hollow as it attacks him. He continuously dodges the attacks while sending out his own. He keeps his distance by attacking with his various kido.

He retreats back before quickly weaving hand signs and breathing in 'Fire Style: Fire ball jutsu'

He breathes out a massive fireball towards the hollow. The hollow completely ignores the fireball as it charges once again towards Itachi. The hollows come out the other end with a few burns on its body.

'Superficial Injuries' Itachi thinks as he maintains his distance. Itachi points his finger towards the hollow. Hado: 4 Byakurai. A small beam of lightning shoots towards the hollow.

The hollow waits as the beam approaches before dodging to the side. Itachi swings his fingers to the right, slicing horizontally with the lightning. The hollow vanishes from its places before appearing over Itachi and swinging down with its blades.

Bakudo: 39 Enkousen. A spinning shield appears over Itachi palms, blocking the attack just as it is about to hit him. However, the strike completely shatters the shield, forcing Itachi to fly back.

The hollow continues its chase, forcing Itachi back further. 'I need a big attack...' Itachi thinks to himself before steadying himself and retreating further.

He turns around and points his hand towards the hollow "Bakudo 4: Hainawa" A crackling energy flies towards the hollow binding it. He clenches the rope before inhaling.

'Fire style: Dragon Flame Jutsu.' Itachi breathes out a stream of flames that travels along the rope.

Before the flames are able to reach the hollow, it breaks free from its binding and charges forward at Itachi.

'This thing is strong...this isn't something I can defeat with the seal still on me.' In between the hollow's strikes, Itachi finds an opening and kicks the hollow, pushing it back.

"Bakudo 21: Sekienton!" A large cloud of smoke erupts and covers the area. Itachi makes some distance from the hollow and pulls out a denreishinki.

"This is Lieutenant Uchiha, Itachi of the Thirteenth Division in Karakura Town requesting removal of the spirit restriction seal." Itachi says. As he waits for a reply, he senses the hollow coming at him again.

Itachi jumps back again and the hollow roars, emitting a shockwave that clears the smoke from the area. Itachi looks back at the denreishinki. 'It looks like it will take a while for them to reply.'

Itachi puts the device away and holds his blade in front of him with one hand and performs a hand seal with the other.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu." Itachi exhales flames onto his blade that light his blade on fire. The hollow charges at Itachi again and goes for a jab with one of its blade arms. Itachi parries the blow and counterattacks with a quick slash through the hollow's side. Itachi's eyes widen as he sees the deep gash he inflicted instantly close. 'Instant regeneration?!' The hollow spins around and sends a back kick at Itachi. Itachi tries to block it with his asauchi but it snaps in half from the force and he gets sent flying down the street. Before he has a chance to regain his footing, the hollow puts one foot forward and leans in with its horns facing Itachi. A large amount of reiatsu begins to build up and a red glow is emitted from between the hollow's horns.

'Cero?!' Itachi manages to regain his footing. As the hollow charges the cero, Itachi receives a voice message on his deirenshiki.

"Thirteenth Division Lieutenant Uchiha Itachi, your request has been accepted." The voice says.

"Gentei Kaijo!" Itachi yells out and he feels a large amount of power return to his body. Itachi sees the hollow ready to fire a fully charged Cero and prepares himself to dodge out of the way. Suddenly, the hollow disappears from its spot and reappears directly in front of Itachi with a loud booming sound. The hollow fires its cero at point blank range, completely enveloping Itachi in a red light...