Chapter 12 - The Field Exam Begins

Itachi wakes up and gets ready. He makes sure to have his asauchi be his side before leaving the dormitory building.

'It's already been six months. The field examination begins today' Itachi thought to himself before making his way over to the classes. He sees Itsuki by the entrance and greets him.

"Hey Itachi, are you ready?" Itsuki asked a bit nervously.

"We have been preparing for six months. It should be fine" Itachi replied.

"Yeah, it's just this is the first major test. I heard a good result can get you good remarks towards your graduation." Itsuki replied.

Itachi remained silent and the duo walked into the class. The class was filled with the first students. The day of the field exam was very important so many of the advanced class students arrived early discussing the nature of the test with each other.

A few minutes later, Ounabara arrived in tow with 6 sixth year students and a shinigami. Itachi looks towards Tatsumi who was one of the the sixth years leading that would lead the first years. He wasn't surprised to see Tatsumi as he had spoken with him about the exam during their training sessions.

"Everybody, settle down!" Ounabara said with a stern voice.

The commotion settled, and the class was fully silent.

"I hope you are all ready for the field trip today. I will be ȧssigning you groups, and each of you will be led by a sixth year. You are to listen to him and follow their instructions properly." Ounabara said.

"The first group will be Daiyu Feng, Kanzaki Kyoraku, and lastly, Uchiha Itachi!. You three will be led by Ukitake Tatsumi." Ounabara announced. Ounabara proceeded to tell the other group names and introduce their leaders.

"Alright now that you all have your groups, meet with your group leaders.

"Nice to meet you all. You can all just call me Tatsumi. We'll wait here for further instruction before we deploy." Tatsumi looks around and sees Ounabara talking with the sixth year instructors about the exercise. He looks back at Itachi and makes small talk with him while they wait.

"This should be easy for you Itachi." Tatsumi says to Itachi.

"You're overestimating my abilities." Itachi replies humbly. Tatsumi laughs in response to this as he had personally been training with Itachi and knows how talented he is. The rest of the group also introduced themselves. Daiyu was already familiar with Itachi due to Taro's sparring sessions. Kanzaki introduces himself to Daiyu and Itachi.

The conversations in the classroom are broken by Ounabara's voice.

"During this field exercise, you will be deployed with one other group to a section of the human world sealed off by the barrier corps. There will be practice hollows there that the sixth years will instruct you on how to defeat. You are to listen to their instructions as if they were your instructor!" Ounabara announces to the class. During the announcement, the shinigami goes to each of the group leaders and hands each of them a hell buŧŧerfly. After Ounabara's instructions, the groups go outside to the courtyard. Tatsumi uses his hell buŧŧerfly to open a senkaimon. Their group enters the senkaimon and soon find themselves in the world of the living.

As Itachi takes his first steps in the world of the living, he is shocked by the architecture. He was expecting it to look similar to the villages in the shinobi world but it looked completely different. He spent a few moments taking in the surroundings. He regains his composure as Tatsumi gives his orders to the group.

"Okay so our mission here is to find the several practice hollows scattered within this barrier and defeat them. In order to do so, you will have to use teamwork. I recommend you-" Tatsumi is cut off as Itachi points out a practice hollow walking down the road about fifty meters away. Before Tatsumi has the chance to tell the group what to do, Daiyu rushes towards the hollow.

"Wait! You guys need to work as a team for this!" Tatsumi says as his words fall on deaf ears. Itachi looks to Kanzaki who looks back at Itachi and shrugs his shoulders. Itachi signals Kanzaki to follow him and chases after Daiyu.

'I'm going to prove that I'm strong enough to keep up with Taro!' Daiyu thinks to herself eagerly as she runs towards the practice hollow. Itachi quickly catches up to Daiyu and stands in front of her.

Daiyu and the hollow fight each other but Daiyu appears to have the upper hand. Her speed was more than enough to dodge its attacks and after several minutes of striking it, she finally takes it down. Daiyu catches her breath as she looks over the body of the destroyed practice hollow. Tatsumi flash steps to his group.

"Good job is what I would ordinarily say but...THIS IS A TEAM EXERCISE!" Tatsumi says as he glares at Daiyu. Daiyu looks back at Tatsumi apologetically and Tatsumi regains his composure as he clears his throat.

"You guys lucked out. That was one of the weaker practice hollows. If that had been a stronger one, fighting it one on one would have led to someone getting hurt." Tatsumi says to the group.

"This time, I want you all to try to find a practice hollow through sensing its reiatsu. In order to do so, you must-" Tatsumi is cut off by Itachi.

"There is one about forty two meters to the left of us behind a building." Itachi comments.

"Okay good we know where the next one is. Now remember, TEAMWORK." Tatsumi orders.

Itachi looks to the group.

"If everyone doesn't mind then I have a plan." Itachi says. Tatsumi looks at Itachi and nods. Daiyu also reluctantly agrees to listen as Kanzaki huddles in to listen to what Itachi has to say. Tatsumi listens to Itachi's plan and gives a nod of approval. The three of them go towards the hollow's location as Tatsumi tails behind them.

Itachi lands behind the hollow, making a sound as he touches the ground to attract the hollow's attention. The hollow turns around and sees Itachi by himself.

"Bakudo 4: Hainawa." Itachi launches a yellow rope towards the hollow as it is swinging its arms and cuffs it by the wrists. Then from the side, Kanzaki appears and quickly slashes the hollow's ankles with his asauchi, bringing it down to its knees. Daiyu appears above the hollow and lands a finishing blow through the hollow's mask. The practice hollow falls to the ground and stops moving. Clapping could be heard from the distance as Tatsumi walks towards the group.

"A great plan with beautiful execution! That is the teamwork I am looking for!" Tatsumi compliments. As Tatsumi was about to give his next set of instructions for the group, a loud roar could be heard in the distance. Itachi recognizes it as the roar of a hollow and looks towards the area where it came from. A hell buŧŧerfly could be seen flying towards Tatsumi. Tatsumi extends his finger and when the buŧŧerfly lands on his finger, his face turns grim.

"You three stay here. I need to check this out." Tatsumi says as he flash steps away towards the location where the roar was heard.

Itachi and the group wait silently for a few moments. Roars can be heard from the distance followed by small explosions. Itachi tries to feel the reiatsu of Tatsumi but as he does so, he senses the overwhelming reiatsu of something sinister. During this time, Daiyu was also sensing reiatsu and could detect Taro's. Itachi could see the panic on Daiyu's face.

"We need to go over there now." Itachi says as he looks back at Kanzaki who is relatively calm despite the situation. Daiyu nods in agreement and the three of them run towards the commotion together.

Upon arriving, Itachi sees a large hollow fighting members of the barrier corps. Daiyu notices Taro with his group in the corner shaken up as another large hollow approaches them. Daiyu flashes towards Taro with Kanzaki following her. Itachi focuses his attention on the other hollow fighting the barrier corps and he activates his sharingan.

'Something is wrong with these hollows...they should not be this strong…' Itachi's thoughts are distracted when in the corner of his eye he sees two faint souls hidden from sight to normal eyes and suppressing their reiatsu. As Itachi starts to focus on them, he hears a faint voice call his name.

"I-Itachi..."

Itachi turns around and at the corner of a building, his eyes see the vanishing spiritual pressure of Tatsumi. Itachi flash steps to Tatsumi and his normally stoic demeanor turns into shock as he kneels down and sees his injuries. In a raspy voice, Tatsumi speaks to Itachi.

"My dying wish Itachi...keep moving forward as a shinigami. I realized after months of sparring with you that you have long since surpassed me. I taught you everything I know and it was bȧrėly enough for someone of your talent....this is the end of the road for me." Tatsumi's hand slowly falls from Itachi's shoulder as he loses strength.

"See you friend...I leave the rest to you…" Tatsumi's body goes limp as Itachi tears up. This was an all too familiar moment for him as he remembers his last moments with Shisui.

-----

"Take it as a gift, my dying wish." Shisui says with a smile on his face to Itachi who had a look of concern to his friend who just gave him his remaining sharingan.

"What's with that look of yours? Even like this I can still see your face easily, you know." Shisui places his hand on Itachi's shoulder.

"A worried expression just doesn't look good on you. You must always remain calm, my friend. That is what Uchiha Itachi is. I'm positive you can do this. So don't worry it'll be fine." Shisui reassures Itachi. Itachi stares at his friend wide eyed then closes his eyes as he looks down in remorse.

"I will carry on your will to the Uchiha…" Itachi declares.

"From now on, you may be forced to walk down a long and dark path, one that is filled with pain and suffering. I have to apologize...that I can't be with you through it all. Still. I hope you don't falter from your path. And keep moving forward as a leaf ninja. I believe in you."

Itachi couldn't help but clench his teeth in anguish upon hearing this as Shisui continued talking.

"Whew...Thank you...For everything. I guess this is the end of the road for me. But this will pave a new way for you… And give you new power." Shisui pauses for a brief moment as somber silence fills the air before continuing.

"Well. Itachi...Now, the time has come... Make a new way for yourself with your own hands. You can do it… I know you can…"

"See you friend...I leave the rest to you…" The voices of both Shisui and Tatsumi merge as Itachi closes his eyes and wipes his face with his arm. As he opens his eyes again, the standard three tomoe pattern of his sharingan is replaced with three spiraling curves. Itachi stands back up looking at the lifeless body of Tatsumi.

"Rest in peace, Tatsumi." Itachi stands up and turns around, looking at the hollow attacking the barrier corps.

"Shisui...this is my path as a shinigami." Itachi says to himself as he flash steps towards the hollow.