"I do not fear death as long as I can avenge myself. That is why I am strong." Shūsuke Amagai.
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Two things happened to Amagai after Soi Fon and Gin left, and under Itachi's watchful eyes, none of the changes escaped his notice.
The first was how quick the berserk energy settled in Amagai's body. One second his Reiatsu was flaring uncontrollably as his Reiryoku churned violently within him, and the next two seconds it settled to a controllable degree.
The second was a product of the first and the one that surprised Itachi the most. The parasitic hunger of the Bakkoto was curbed as it slowed down tremendously and the reason for that was that Amagai had somehow managed to force the soul weapon under his control.
It was a weak tether as strain from expansive use would quickly unravel it and deal severe backlash to his soul. It was a narrow-street gamble and Amagai was already veering off the path.
"You could have told me, you know. I would have helped you."
"Like how you helped Tōshirō and Kusaka?" Amagai sneered. "You don't even know what you were trying to help them against."
He pointed his arm that was covered by the black carapace of the Bakkoto at Itachi. "You always preached against the hypocrisy of Shinigami and yet you fail to see that you, as a Captain, are the biggest hypocrite of them all."
The gauntleted bladed arm started emitting dark green energy that produced so much intense heat that bars of the cell started melting.
"Answer me then, teacher; how can you help me against the injustice of the Soul Society when you are one of its strongest pillars?" The flames hissed as another wave of heat was released that turned the metals around them into molten slag. "Futility. You love that word, don't you? So tell me, teacher, why you persist your shallow actions in futility? How can you claim to want to help me when you are the embodiment of everything wrong with the Soul Society?"
Amagai looked down at his arm and chuckled in disappointment at Itachi's continued silence. The flames were now wrapped around his torso from one side, looking more like a possessive entity than an element.
"Of course you would remain silent. Do you know that you are the second person I hate the most in this dumpster of an organization? How many innocents like my father have you killed in the name of duty and secret? Duty and Obligations, right? I always paid attention–"
Amagai's words tapered out when he saw the look of abject sadness on Itachi's face. His face had morphed into a pained expression that Amagai had never seen before. It was such a silent distraught look that seemed to have aged him further.
Itachi shook his head ruefully as he dragged his hands over his face. He looked to be in discomfort and it wasn't because of the intense heat they were bathing in.
"Where did we go wrong?" It was a rhetorical question but it felt like he was asking himself for an answer. He looked at Amagai with genuine sadness. "I'm sorry that the Soul Society failed you, Amagai."
"A little too late for that, don't you think?" Amagai spread out his arms in a gesture to the cauldron of heat around them.
Itachi took a forward step towards him, paying no mind to the flames even as they blazed with threatening intensity. "It's not too late, Amagai. Follow me to the Head Captain and let us question him. I swear on my clan's name that I will not let him or anyone else attack you. Let him clear up the misunderstanding."
"Misunderstanding? That is what you're calling it. My father being killed for being an upright Shinigami is a misunderstanding, is that right?"
"Your father, Shin'etsu Kisaragi, was an undercover agent for the Head Captain sent to investigate the Kasumioji. I do not know the circumstances of his death but that I can assure you. Stop this right now and I will personally find the answers you need."
Amagai faltered for the first time after hearing Itachi's words. "What are you talking about? Lie—"
"I am not lying to you, Amagai. I have no need to." Itachi cut him off before he could get that word out, as he stood a few paces from Amagai while staring into the young man's eyes. "Whatever the Kasumioji told you are lies and you don't even need me to prove that. Step away from the haze of your anger and truly see what is happening before you."
Amagai scoffed. "Of course I know that they are trying to use me but that doesn't matter as long as I can use them in turn."
He looked at Itachi but the war going on in his eyes were veiled by the flames that had cloaked half of his body by now.
"Them I trust to stab me in the back whenever they find the chance to, but the same cannot be said about you. I can expect their betrayal but I can't even trust your bad intentions."
They silently stared at each other, both of them aware that they were at the critical point that would decide if they were going to fight or not. Amagai was waiting, watching for Itachi's next move and alert for the hidden intentions of his next words.
Itachi… he simply walked towards Amagai, undeterred by the threatening height the flames rose to form a wall between him and Amagai. He took the first step and walked into the wall of baleful green flames, uncaring that it greedily ate at the layer of Reiatsu that was protecting him from the melting heat.
It burned his coat and created blisters on his skin but Itachi didn't care as he came to a stop directly in front of Amagai and looked straight into the man's shocked eyes as he spoke.
"Amagai, let me help you. Please."
"W-Wha…"
There was genuine shock on his face as Itachi stood in front of him and bore him no avenue to deny the sincerity he saw.
Unfortunately, it was not to be. For either of them.
Amagai did not have the chance to make a choice or to respond to Itachi's sincerity as the Bakkoto latching over half his body released a green burst of energy that pushed Itachi back and sent him crashing out of the building.
He got up immediately and flashed-stepped back into the underground holding cell that was already up in flames.
He froze as even through the flames, his Sharingan could clearly see the state of Amagai's soul and what he saw pained him. Another berserk reaction, and one where Amagai had lost his focus on it for a split second.
He had thought Amagai had it under control but that looked to be wrong too. It was a sabotage. Even from here he could pick up chatter of fights starting all over the Seireitei. Whoever was behind this was detonating the Bakkoto inside the Shinigami and causing them to go berserk to create a smokescreen.
Amagai had been lucky to put it under control the first time but not so much as the second time.
A pillar of flames shot up from the ground under Itachi but he was already gone from there before the surface broke.
He saw Amagai walk out from the flames and his jaw tightened when he saw the growth of the Bakkoto on him. At this rate it would be minutes until whatever remained of Amagai was gone. He wasn't even sure if he could be saved right now.
He stood up from where he was crouched and took off the burnt tatters of what remained of his coat.
"I-I'm s… s… ry." The man wreathed in flames muttered from within the conflagration and hearing it made Itachi's hands grip harder the hilt of his Zanpakutō.
"We have failed you, Amagai. You have nothing to be sorry for." Itachi said softly.
The flames and destructive energy in the form of a man rushed at him so fast that the ground caught a trail of fire.
Itachi ignored whatever it was that Amaterasu was saying and met the dying corpse of his former student head on. There was an explosion on their point of contact that pushed both of them backwards but the fact that Amagai no longer felt pain meant that he could generate a mini-sun that instantly charred the moisture in the air around them.
Hadō #81: Danku.
Hell fell on earth and was met with a silent chant high level Kidō that refused to give it even an inch to scorch the earth.
With the barrier holding up the mini-sun, Amagai slashed down with his consumed hand and a ring of fire circled over where Itachi and the barrier stood.
Itachi saw the display, the potential, and his heart beat faster with burgeoning anger. He was furious and it showed as an oppressive pressure blanketed the Seireitei and darkened the sky.
"I'll kill you." It was unknown who he said it to but the heart of anyone unfortunate to hear it froze.
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