Chapter 43 - Battle on the Hill

As the ethereal skeleton formed, an orange haired individual appeared next to her.

"Lieutenant Uchiha and Ichigo?!" Rukia said, shocked at their sudden appearance.

"Itachi?!" Ichigo looked surprised when he saw Itachi at the top of the stand with him. Itachi gazed at him with his sharingan briefly before turning back around and facing the large flaming bird heading towards them. 'He's gotten stronger.' Itachi thought to himself.

"Lieutenant Uchiha!!" Omaeda exclaimed. The rest of the captains and vice captains were also surprised to see Itachi.

"Susanoo!" Itachi's eyes change as a large ethereal rib cage appears around his body.

A large skeletal arm suddenly grows from the left side of his body and grabs the bird's beak, stopping it from moving any further.

"He stopped it.." Soi Fon said. "The Sokyoku is supposed to have the destructive force of over a million zanpakuto. That shouldn't be possible?!"

"Looks like he made it on time." Kyoraku commented as he smiled. 'Ukitake should be arriving soon.'

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"Lieutenant Uchiha, you shouldn't have come..." Rukia said, tearing up. "And Ichigo, you idiot, I told you not to come!!"

"What!? Don't give me that crap!" Ichigo replied.

"You know you can't win, you should've stayed behind." Rukia continued.

"This isn't the time for that.We have more pressing matters to deal with." Itachi said as he sighed as this was an inconvenient time to start arguing.

"I..I am sorry," Rukia said, keeping her head down.

The Sokyoku was still being held by Itachi. It struggled around to try and free itself. However, The susanoo's grip made it completely immobile.

Just as it continued to struggle, two cables flew up from the ground and attached itself to the Sokyoku.

"Captain Ukitake?! Kiyone also!" Isane exclaimed as she saw where the cables came from.

Shunsui and Nanao appear beside Ukitake and Shunsui pulls out his zanpakuto. He inserts his into one part of the cable and Ukitake inserts into another part of the cable.

"Captain Kyoraku too?!" Isane called out, confused. Yamamoto opened his eyes in surprise as Ukitake planted the shield firmly on the ground.

"Stop them! They want to destroy the Sokyoku!" Soi Fon yelled at Omaeda. But it was too late and the two Captains poured their reiatsu into the shield. Their reiatsu traveled up the cable and into the Sokyoku.

Itachi watched the scene and nodded as he was expecting Ukitake's arrival any moment. He turned to Ichigo.

"Kurosaki. I can tell you've gotten a lot stronger. Break the stand, I'll deal with this." Itachi ordered Ichigo as he held back the Sokyoku. Ichigo nodded and shoved his zanpakuto into the stand and poured his spiritual pressure into it. The shinigami watched in shock as the Sokyoku dispersed and the stand was destroyed. Itachi used the moment of the explosion to quickly grab Rukia. He slung her over his shoulder then flash stepped from his spot and landed down and prepared to flee.

"Why are you just looking at them, you fools?! Catch them!" Soi Fon yelled at the lieutenants who were just standing there watching. The three lieutenants who were there, Sasakibe, Isane, and Omaeda, made haste and appeared in front of Itachi with their zanpakuto drawn and released. They were slightly nervous as they faced Itachi. Omaeda knew that Itachi was already strong from his first few years at the second division and Isane was not as proficient as the other lieutenants in combat. As a member of the fourth division, she spent much of her time practicing healing Kido. Sasakibe was the only one who remained calm. Itachi had no change in expression as the three of them approached him. He gave them all a quick glance. In the next moment, they all keeled over, falling on the ground unconscious and he continued on his way. However, before he went any further, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking his path.

"Captain Soi Fon." Itachi said, staring at the figure.

"Uchiha. It's disappointing to think you would side with the invaders." Soi Fon said with a stern expression.

"These invaders and I share a common goal to save a comrade. I wouldn't expect you to understand, Captain Soi Fon. Comrades are simply tools for you to accomplish your mission objective by any means. It appears that this battle was unavoidable." Itachi replied.

"Don't be naive Uchiha! You were ready for this the moment you acted." Soi Fon commented as she removed her Captain's haori.

'I won't be able to fight properly like this.' Itachi thought to himself as he turned towards Ichigo.

".....Kurosaki, take Kuchiki!" Itachi said as he threw Rukia over to Itachi.

"Wait what…?" Ichigo said as he saw Rukia flying at him. He quickly grabbed her and ran.

Just as he was running, A figure suddenly flashed over to him, about to strike. Ichigo noticed the approaching reiatsu.

"What the hell are you guys doing?! This is-" Rukia is cut off as Ichigo quickly pulls her back to draw his zanpakuto to block Byakuya.

"I can see you, Kuchiki Byakuya!" Ichigo said as the two clashed. Out of the corner of Ichigo's eye, he sees a red haired figure just arrive at the scene.

"Renji catch!" Ichigo yelled as he pushed Byakuya away before throwing Rukia.

"Oh no you are not doing this agaaiiiiiiinnn!!" Rukia yelled as she flew through the air. Renji managed to catch her but he and Rukia looked angrily at Ichigo as she was being tossed around like a ball.

"Don't just stand there. Run!" Itachi ordered as he held back Soi Fon. Renji nodded and ran with Rukia to leave the Sokyoku hill.

"You think I'll just let them walk away Uchiha?" Soi Fon said as she left an afterimage in her place and flash stepped towards Rukia and Renji.

"Wait Soi Fon!" Ukitake called out, only to be interrupted by Yamamoto. Just as Soi Fon caught up to Renji, Itachi appeared in front of her, blocking her way.

"Captain, I'll deal with her!" Itachi yelled back to Ukitake. Ukitake nodded as he turned back to face Yamamoto, only to be grabbed by Shunsui and taken down the cliffside.

"Uchiha...I told you before that if you were to become my enemy, I would not hesitate to kill you." Soi Fon glared at Itachi. Itachi returned her cold gaze with his own. Without saying anything more, the two of them charge at each other, engaging each other using purely Hakuda and Hoho.

Itachi and Soi Fon continue exchanging blows, glaring at each other as they collide forearms. Upon collision, they both flash step backward and then forward towards each other again. Soi Fon throws a quick right jab that Itachi twists his body to dodge in the air. In the air, Itachi aims a round kick towards Soi Fon's face. Soi Fon ducks back to dodge it as Itachi lands back on the ground. The two of them lock eyes again and charge in at each other with a punch, with both punches narrowly missing the other as their arms go by their faces.

The two of them vanish again and reappear a few meters away and start grappling again. They continue blocking and dodging each other's attacks until Itachi manages to land a solid kick to Soi Fon's torso, sending her flying back. Soi Fon regains her balance and looks back up at Itachi in shock. 'Did he just outmaneuver me in Hakuda?!'

"Your strikes are worthless before my eyes." Itachi commented, walking towards Soi Fon.

"Don't mock me Uchiha! I'm just getting started!" Soi Fon yelled as she charged in at Itachi. She throws a punch at Itachi, which Itachi blocks. Suddenly Itachi appears behind Soi Fon and kicks her. Soi Fon manages to block the kick but skids back a few meters from the force. Soi Fon looks in confusion at the two clones of Itachi in front of her. 'Afterimages? No...afterimages don't have mass so why are they able to strike me?' Soi Fon was surprised, she had never seen a technique like this.

Three more afterimages of Itachi suddenly run from behind Itachi and Soi Fon finds herself surrounded. 'I don't understand. Each of these is an afterimages created by a flash step. But each of these afterimages have their own spiritual pressure...is he moving between the afterimages with such precision that I can't tell them from the real one?!' Soi fon was shocked.

Itachi looks to the distance before he pauses.

The afterimages created by Itachi begin to fade away and the real Itachi is left standing in front of Soi Fon.

"Why did you stop?" Soi Fon asked, confused.

"I'm no longer your opponent it seems." Itachi said as he turned his back to Soi Fon.

"What…?" Soi Fon was confused, but she placed her hand on her zanpakuto, ready to draw it and strike Itachi from behind when a masked figure suddenly appeared and grabbed her, pushing her off the Sokyoku hill.

"Release me! Who are you?!" Soi Fon struggled as she fell with the masked figure.

"Don't make a fuss. You're still careless like before." The figure said, pushing their scarf down revealing their face.

"You...Yoruichi?!" Soi Fon exclaimed as they both fell.

After watching Yoruichi take Soi Fon with her, Itachi looked in the direction that Ukitake and Kyoraku went in to run away from Yamamoto. He quickly glanced in Ichigo's direction and saw him keeping up with Byakuya. 'Kurosaki should be fine. But the Captains will need my help against the Captain Commander.' Itachi thought as he vanished from the top of the hill.