Special thanks to everyone who gave me their opinion on the whole Itachi-issue. You guys have been a great help and I now have made my decision. Also, congrats for everyone who guessed Sasuke's spirit to be a kirin. You were right.

Now, on to the story! Enjoy!

Black wings fluttered on the soft breeze, dancing in time with the waving branches above. Grey and gold traded a look before returning they attention to the blood painting the forest in various places, some more unlikely than the others.

"My, my. Now this is interesting."

"What caught your interest?" asked the other dryly.

Grey eyes slid up towards bloodstained leaves and deadly steel.

"Ingeniously improvised traps and a flawless decapitation," he murmured. "Neither is easy or commonly learned. Kuchiki-fukutaichou is right. Shinrin-san is hiding far more than he lets on."

An eyebrow rose. "You think the woman spoke the truth?"

"Natural manifestation of his Zanpakutou, extraordinary skill, and remembering far more of his life than he should. What are the odds that she was wrong?"

XXX(xxxx)XXX(xxxx)XXX(xxxx)XXX

Sasuke woke up in pain. Considering his last hour awake, he supposed he shouldn't be surprised.

Without giving any outward sign of his conscious state, he listened and tried to get an idea where he was. Annoyance flashed through him, both at the pain and the dullness of his senses that came from a combination of drugs and his body diverting a lot of resources towards recovery. For a moment he focused his attention on analysing his own state. Passive analysis, something Sakura had taught him during the endless months he'd spend on probation after the Fourth Shinobi War. Chakra – and reiryoku too, he expected – moved differently through injured tissues than through healthy ones, so all you needed was some minimal chakra control and a deep awareness of your own body. Passive healing took far more control so he couldn't attempt that yet, but knowing what was wrong with him would at least tell him what his options might be from here.

Injuries, buried deep within his flesh where Ringo's lightning had seared him, damaging muscles, nerves, and even bone in some places. Patches of healthy tissue where there shouldn't have been near his more vital organs and traces of accelerated healing near less vital ones, a clear sign that he'd received treatment from a trained medic. Bruises and cuts had been treated through mundane means, bandages and ointments clinging to his skin. Overall, his state was… manageable.

He didn't know how long it had been – a few days at most, judging from his injuries – but he had the feeling his healing rate had decreased with death. Granted, it had originally increased because he had absorbed part of Orochimaru's abilities after the Snake had tried to devour him, so he supposed it was not that odd he no longer had it. After all, he didn't even have his Sharingan anymore, and if he had lost his inborn ability then what chance did acquired abilities stand?

Being dead truly was more trouble than it was worth. Naruto probably would have loudly pointed out a random silver lining to the entire aggravating situation, but the idiot blond wasn't here. More's the pity. Sasuke could use some positivity to balance the fact that Kuchiki and his men would have to be complete and utter idiots not to realize how little he had told them. And to guess how much his omissions had actually concealed.

He strained his senses, sensing several people in whatever place he was in, their signatures dulled by what he assumed to be walls, but no one seemed to be present in his room. He couldn't be sure because of the fog surrounding his brain, but for now he would assume he was alone. The Shinigami were probably keeping an eye on him through other means, but having no one right there present with him would buy him a little time if he tried to escape. Not that he would do that straight away. He didn't know enough about any potential measures the Shinigami might employ to keep him captive to try it when he was still so uncertain of his current position. He would only take the gamble if the Shinigami proved to be too unreasonable in the face of his secrecy and Ringo's blabbering.

With a sigh he put a hand beneath himself to push himself up.

Or rather, tried to.

A soft metallic clang accompanied a tug on his wrists. Very familiar tugs.

Well, set it on fire and scatter the ashes.

They had restrained him. Tied him to the headboard, where they would have had an easy view of his hands, forcefully exposing the rest of his body. He couldn't even use his legs because the Shinigami had been thorough and had tied his ankles to the bed as well. He hated this position.

They had also stolen all his clothes and equipment and had replaced it with a flimsy white yukata, but at the moment being bound ticked him off the most.

Though his sword missing was a close second.

Kouten. His– my sword's name is Kouten.

Sasuke wasn't sure if it hadn't all been a hallucination. Really, a Kirin as his sword spirit, a being that was part of his soul – it wouldn't surprise him if he had imagined it. Though if he had, he really needed his head checked because hallucinating during a fight was bound to be deadly sooner or later. But on the off chance he hadn't… well, he wouldn't have wanted to leave his sword behind anyway. Quality steel like that was hard to get.

Assuming he would be able to leave. The restraints told him that the Shinigami really weren't keen on that.

Sasuke was not surprised. Kuchiki would be a fool not to keep someone of questionable motives and loyalties from running free. And Sasuke wasn't. Just disappointed. What happened to being courteous to people who might not be enemies? Wasn't it supposed to be some samurai standard to give potential non-hostiles a chance to prove themselves friendly? The Kami knew that Naruto had always been jabbering on about that, the idiot.

With an aggravated sigh he inspected the restraints.

Black. Almost ribbon-like, and wrapped tight around wrists and metal bedframe. They looked almost like strips of leather, but they definitely weren't. There were no knots, just the hum of energy running through the black material. Jutsu-based then. If you knew how to do it you could probably dissolve them with a touch. Maybe draining them would work. Though if the Shinigami had any brains in their heads, they would make it so that a prisoner could never get the things off on his own.

Damn. Where was Killerbee's ridiculous sword when you needed it?

"So you are awake."

A woman. In the door opening. A woman whose eyes were cold as glacial meltwater and somehow reminded him of the Hokage after Naruto had succeeded in dragging him back to Konoha. Distrustful and not at all forgiving, only her promise to Naruto and her injuries from the fight keeping her from letting him feel the full force of her anger.

A justified comparison, Sasuke felt as he observed the black-haired woman. Her clothes might hide a lot, but there was a quiet, understated strength in every line of her body. A Kage's confidence and grace to her slightest movements. Her reiatsu was deceptively soft and tranquil, like thick snow on a mountain's slope, waiting for that one tremor that would turn it into a wall of icy death. It carried the same stillness as a night on the battlefield, where everyone was silent in anticipation of the moment someone would pick up a sign that the enemy was launching its next attack.

The sword at her side was almost an afterthought. It was not the weapon she would rely on first, given how loosely it hung from her shoulder, like a bag she didn't care about losing. Even if she was fast at drawing the blade, the saya would still get in the way of her movements unless she threw it away. No, it looked as if she considered her sword only for after, for when her enemy would prove worthy of her blade.

Which meant that she was more than confident that she could handle any first strike. That alone was worthy of concern.

Her countenance remained closed off as she continued to speak. "I am Captain Unohana Retsu of the Fourth Division of the Gotei Thirteen. Once you are well enough for questioning, you will be presented to the Captains assigned to this case." A serene smile, as effective as any warning look he'd ever seen before. "Kuchiki-fukutaichou has shared his insights with us. For now there is still some doubt about your intentions, but if you attempt to escape you will be declared a criminal immediately. Have I made myself clear?"

Sasuke firmly resisted the urge to grimace. Great. So Kuchiki had survived and had landed him in hot water before he was even back on his feet. Bloody wonderful. "Crystal, Unohana-taichou," he replied with a blank face.

The Captain smile widened and Sasuke had to suppress a shiver of unease. What she was projecting wasn't quite killing intent, merely poised on the knife-edge of it, but that just made it all the more unsettling. That took skill. Sasuke took it for the dire warning it was. Forget the Lieutenant, it was obvious this Captain was far more dangerous than Kuchiki could ever be.

With brisk professionality Unohana checked him over, only applying a small measure of healing jutsu – or kidou, as Kuchiki had called it – ensuring his wounds weren't dangerous but still incapacitating enough that Sasuke would have a hard time moving if his pain tolerance hadn't been as high as it was. Smart lady.

"Well, it seems you are recovering nicely," Unohana judged. For the life of him, Sasuke couldn't figure out whether she considered that to be a good or a bad thing. "The medicines will wear off soon. I will tell the Captains to prepare for your questioning."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her retreating back as she left without further ado. Nice touch, informing him about what was hanging over his head when he couldn't do anything but wait. She didn't even tell him how long he had.

Exactly what he would have done, if he wanted to see whether his prisoner would panic. Panic in and on its own didn't say much given that anyone who found themselves captive and soon to be subjected to interrogation might panic, innocent or not. But it was an indication that it was worth prying at whatever story would be told.

And even if someone didn't panic… well, that said a lot too.

Knowing that he was being observed, he settled for projecting a contained level of worry. Kuchiki already knew he didn't scare easily, but it was better to be underestimated a little than not at all. He would have to play by ear more than enough as it was.

XXX(xxxx)XXX(xxxx)XXX(xxxx)XXX

Shunsui was not a happy man. In fact, he was annoyed, and had been for a long time. Annoyed and tired of problems that dragged on for way too long. The last decade had been trying. Mad geniuses popping up everywhere and getting into vicious fights without any regard for innocent bystanders. Some of them cruel and bloodthirsty enough to slaughter entire towns and any Shinigami they could find just for entertainment.

They were lucky that the new head of the Shihouin Clan and Captain of the Second Division had had a genius subordinate on hand to counter at least some of the havoc. It was a pity that it wasn't enough. Thanks to young Urahara Kisuke they had taken care of the most obvious ones, but they didn't know how many more of them still ran loose. While their tactics bore some resemblance to the tactics of the Onmitsukidou, their skills and abilities were so varied that even their resident genius had a hard time against them. You couldn't predict what you did not know existed, after all. And they were so terrifyingly good at hiding.

Truly, the fact that they needed a genius at all was telling. Most Shinigami didn't stand a chance against the shinobi. If their Shinigami were not killed then they were simply left running in circles trying to locate their targets. The Onmitsukidou were only slightly more successful in tracking these dangerous people.

Which was not always a blessing. most targets had been content to leave the Shinigami agents alone as long they did not try to attack, but there had been quite a few who had reacted downright viciously to the Onmitsukidou. This would be less of a problem if the Onmitsukidou could conceal themselves from their targets, but unfortunately, these shinobi seemed to have an special extra sense just for locating Shinigami.

Or are exceptionally well-trained in finding hidden enemies, Shunsui thought to himself, tapping a nail on the smooth surface of the table as they waited. It was not an encouraging thought, but one that unfortunately had proven true the last few years.

And outright confirmed, later, when they finally found a young shinobi who was refreshingly sane. Pity he hadn't been as much help as they'd liked. Oh, he did his best to help them track the shinobi at large, but the other shinobi were often just too good at hiding in the vast lands of Rukongai. Other than that he just gave them a couple of names and descriptions of people who should only be approached by Captains, and confirmed their suspicion that the shinobi hadn't come from the Living World they were familiar with. Which was good, because everyone had been wondering how the hell they had overlooked a warrior civilization of that calibre.

It really was a pity their young shinobi was just a kid and, by his own admission, probably one of the weakest shinobi that had ended up in their midst. The other two shinobi they had managed to corner had fought to the death, and the only time they had succeeded in capturing one, the man had been more tight lipped than a winter-frozen mountain. Getting any kind of information out of him had been like pulling teeth from a grumpy Menos.

Shunsui had the feeling that they had lucked out to have an approachable shinobi on their side at all. If there had been more of them then they'd either been killed or hidden themselves very well.

They all hoped that Shinrin would be a bit like their young ally. Since Shinrin's previous interactions with Kuchiki-fukutaichou had seemed promising – or at least, indicated that Shinrin wasn't likely to turn aggressive on a whim – they had decided a hearing would be a good place to start.

Not that they were unprepared should they have misjudged the situation. It was why, a few Onmitsukidou officers aside, no other Shinigami were present in the room and the furniture was sparse, only a few low tables and zabuton to kneel on. At least Captains and Onmitsukidou had a chance if things turned sour. Ordinary Shinigami… not so much.

Shunsui hadn't forgotten the carnage of some of the battlefields the shinobi had left behind.

There was a polite knock on the door.

Shunsui pulled himself from his slumped position and felt Juushirou and Shinji straighten next to him. The young Shihouin princess swiftly ended her quiet conversation with her subordinate. The only one who didn't move was Ginrei, but then again, the man had always been stiff as a statue.

"Enter," Ginrei ordered.

Their senpai entered, her usual serenity carrying a stillness that spoke of carefully concealed tension. A guiding hand kept a blindfolded Shinrin one step in front of her.

In front to her? Does she feel she has to keep an eye on him that much?

Then the full implications of what he saw hit him, and Shunsui realized that she was right to be so wary. Younger Shinigami might not see it, but Shunsui had lived long enough to notice when someone's stance was as balanced as that, especially when they were blindfolded. Even with his arms locked behind his back in heavy restraints meant for extremely powerful criminals and his sight taken from him, every step Shinrin took was relaxed and rooted like an old tree. Not even the slightest stumbling or staggering, despite the subtle hints of pain in his movements. Oh, he feigned it, sure, but nothing of it was real.

That? That was a sign of lethal skill right there. No one could do that without training. And no one would train that if they did not think they might be captured at one point or another.

Shunsui would eat his hat if Shinrin wasn't ready to fight even now.

They watched attentively as Retsu guided the young man in a kneeling position on a cushion of his own, securing his restraints and ankles to a heavy metal ring that stuck from the floor and had been placed there of exactly that purpose. Only then did she remove the blindfold.

Shinrin's eyes were only a hair-width opened, like Soujun had said the young man was wont to do, but they swept through the room and assessed everyone in the span of one heartbeat.

Exits, obstacles, number of people– kid is fast.

Even though he had expected it, it was startling to observe a complete lack of fear in a prisoner. The young man feigned contained nervousness well, but Shunsui was experienced enough that he noticed that Shinrin's look of worry held no true feelings behind it. All he could sense from Shinrin was ice cold calculation.

The others had seen it as well. Even Ginrei, who did not have a lot of experience with non-nobles outside of his Division, had noticed something off about their young guest. Then again, Shunsui supposed he shouldn't be surprised. Shinrin's deceit was very subtle, and interacting with nobles was all about subtlety. Plus there was the fact that the man knew the Shihouin Clan well.

"Current status, Unohana-taichou?" Juushirou asked, studying their guest just as intensely as the rest of them.

"Nothing he won't recover from. You can freely proceed with your tasks, Ukitake-taichou."

"Very well. Thank you, Unohana-taichou." Retsu politely dipped her head and left. Juushirou turned towards their young guest. "Well then. Shinrin-san. I assume you know why you are here?"

Shinrin tilted his head, his attention focusing on Juushirou. Something in that carefully constructed expression set Shunsui on edge. "I believe you have some questions for me."

Juushirou smiled back, kind and genial, the way he did when he wanted to put a wary Rukongai youngster at ease. You'd almost believe that one word from any of them wouldn't see the young man dead. "That we do. Our apologies for the inconvenience," he said, gesturing at the heavy, slate-grey blocks of steel, kidou, and sekkiseki that trapped Shinrin's arms behind his back, binding him at his wrists and just above his elbows so even tricks as dislocating his thumbs would not work. "I do hope you won't hold those against us. Precautions, you understand?"

Shunsui almost smiled at Shinrin's careful non-reaction. Had his eyebrow just twitched?

"I understand," Shinrin confirmed.

"Good. Now, would you mind telling us where you come from? We have been dealing with your kind for a while now, but we're still not clear on your origins."

Shinrin frowned as if confused. "My kind?"

It was Ginrei who answered that. "A group of souls who possess unusual skills and who recall more of their lives than we've ever seen," the Kuchiki Clan Head clarified. Raised a pale brow. "A group that calls themselves shinobi. My Lieutenant reported that his opponent identified you as one of them. Is that not true?"

Shinrin eyed the Kuchiki Clan Head with something close to disbelief. "She was a raving lunatic who called your Shinigami 'prey' and talked about gobbling people up like treats."

His eyes were drawn to Shinji when he laughed at that.

"Hah, yeah, I just bet she was," the blond snickered. "But ya see, funny thing is, people like her? They've been a pain in the ass for years, but they've never lied about something like that before. They pretended ta be something other than they were without any shame and let ya believe a hundred things about them, but they never denied they're shinobi. And they never called someone who wasn't one that either." A wide grin, a sneer and a challenge in one. "Just like ya, ain't it? Ya called her crazy and unreliable, but ya didn't say she's wrong."

Shinrin was silent.

Shunsui remembered what their informant had said. We have our own customs, and one of them is that we won't deny what we are. Neither our nature or our alliances. Not unless we're on an important mission or dealing with sworn enemies.

Well, how'd you like that? Shinrin still wasn't denying anything.

Eyes grey and sharp as the blade of an katana regarded Shinrin with amusement. "Thought so. Drop the act, kid. We ain't fooled."

Shinrin regarded them all for a few seconds, before he conceded. His act fell away as if he had shrugged off a cloak. His face became cold and expressionless, as if everything that made him a person had been erased, leaving only a blank mask behind. His reiatsu had been churning with apprehension, but now became still as a mountain pool.

For a moment, all Shinigami could only blink. That… hadn't been the reaction they'd expected.

It was damn creepy. And not only that, what it implied…

… We knew some are capable of this. But only the most skilled. The most dangerous. The ones who have the best control and the coldest minds. Control he shouldn't have, blast it all. Soujun had said Shinrin's reiatsu had behaved oddly during their trip. But Shinrin hadn't been able to hide from Soujun. Did he gain this much control over it already?

It was ludicrous, but unless Shinrin had wanted Kuchiki-kun to find him, it seemed the only explanation. Granted, there was a possibility that the former was the case, but personally, Shunsui didn't have much faith in that one.

So….

Well, we did always call those people geniuses.

Of course, Shinrin could be far more experienced than he'd said he was, but according to Soujun, Ringo had confirmed Shinrin's claim that he was new in Soul Society. And after all this time, they knew that if there was one thing shinobi excelled at, it was gathering information. That, and deceit.

Far as he was aware, Ringo'd had no reason to lie.

Which meant that Shinrin probably really was a genius of incredible skill. Who, thanks to their own prodding, was no longer projecting anything. By wanting to see clearer, they instead had managed to make reading Shinrin even more obscure.

Mentally, Shunsui heaved a mournful sigh. Truly, these shinobi were such a headache.

XXX(xxxx)XXX(xxxx)XXX(xxxx)XXX

Sasuke had to fight for the calm he wanted. Breathe in. Breathe out. Enter Kaijin as swiftly as you can.

From what he had seen of these Shinigami they were too sharp by half. Kneeling as he was in the centre of a half-circle of tables, the Shinigami could study him with ease while Sasuke had to constantly turn his head to keep an eye on everyone present. Six at the tables and, behind him, two guards at the door. The guards were not all that important, low-level Chuunin at most, if Sasuke had read them right. The seated Shinigami… those were the ones he really worried about.

Sasuke was sure these were some of the Captains Kuchiki had talked about given the haori each of them wore, so similar to Captain Unohana's. Kuchiki had said many of them were old and experienced, and it showed. And not just in the quiet hum of power he could sense from them through the leaching blockade of his senses that were his restraints. Sasuke's acting had not fooled them, and given how they had tried to use that to rattle him, it was clear they could read emotions with ease.

Granted, Sasuke had never been good at pretending to be afraid or even concerned, and he had never been someone who hid his opinions either, so he supposed it was not surprising that they had seen through him. But letting them read him was not something he could allow at this point.

Emotions could grant you great strength in battle, but they had no place in an interrogation unless you could use them to manipulate the person on the other side of the table. Therefore everyone in ANBU knew the Kaijin meditation. Because there might just come a time where you were captured and your captors too indifferent or clever to fall for manipulations. In such a situation emotions were nothing but a burden, so ANBU operatives made sure they wouldn't have them. wouldn't show them. wouldn't let even their chakra betray them, if they did not desire it to.

The Shinigami tried to provoke him into showing emotion, and he was very familiar with the look in their eyes. They wanted to drag as much information out of him as they could. And damn it, he knew himself. If they found the right spot to pick at they would likely succeed at getting something from him. And who knew what the consequences would be? For him, and for the people resurrected by Edo Tensei? The good people; the comrades and honourable shinobi? For Itachi?

No, he could not let them play their game. Not until he knew more of their intentions. He would not allow it.

Fortunately, the counter to their strategy was simple, if not very easy. Simply have no emotions at all. None.

Calm your emotions and you'll calm your chakra. Silence them entirely and your chakra will follow.

The deeper layers of the meditation were meant to combat a lack of chakra control, to silence every reflexive expression of emotion even when genjutsu, injury, or drugs had made proper control impossible. Sasuke was glad the same principals still applied after death.

He took a breath. Another.

Ice.

Heart firmly locked away, he regarded the room with cold calculation. Had he still had his emotions, the look he aimed at the Shinigami around him would have been a challenge.

It would be interesting to watch how the Shinigami reacted to a complete information blackout.

"You…," one of the guards gasped. "What did you do?"

Deep within his meditation, Sasuke buried the urge to snort. Guy was dressed like a Genin going over the top on the whole ninja look, and he sure reacted like one as well. Proud of being able to sense chakra well enough to sense the emotional fluxes in a person's energies, and then extremely disturbed when the fluxes suddenly disappeared as if they had never existed.

Not that Sasuke could blame him for that. The first time he'd had the technique demonstrated he had been startled too.

As if a fire went out without warning, leaving nothing but cold ashes and darkness. Only the pulses of heart and lungs remaining, like tiny ripples in a lifeless mountain pool. Like a body without soul.

"Chimonamidamonai," one of the Shinigami at the table breathed, deeply intrigued. Blond, and sitting next to a purple-haired woman who might just be a former Kumo native, given her skin colour. The only one who wasn't wearing a white haori or ridiculous ninja garb, so he was probably some kind of specialist. "'Heart of Stone', I believe some shinobi call it. Also known as 'Kanryuu' and 'Reiketsu', the latter being the general name. A meditation technique meant to shut out any and all emotion. Interesting, I thought only a select few knew that one."

Chimonamidamonai? That was what Iwa called Kaijin, the heart of the boulders and mountains they so treasured. The meditation that turned the brittle human mind in an unmoveable fortress that could shut out pain and reality until they meant nothing more than the whistling wind. Kanryuu was similarly a name specific for Kiri, the ice cold killing current that was a steady presence beneath even the wildest waves, the dragging force that did not care who lived and who drowned in its embrace, and which forever guarded the secrets of the deep. Reiketsu was the general concept of chilling your soul until even the most terrible torture could not shake you.

Who had given the Shinigami those terms?

XXX(xxxx)XXX(xxxx)XXX(xxxx)XXX

Footsteps came down the hall, quiet as falling leaves. The Captains looked up from their meals. They had decided to take a break and had left the still emotionless Shinrin in Unohana's care. Ginrei and Yoruichi had left to attend to their duties as Clan Heads, but other than those two everyone was still present. They were only mildly surprised to see the young shinobi they had managed to tempt onto their side, dressed in the civilian garb he used to blend into the crowds of Rukongai.

"My apologies for being late, I only caught the rumours yesterday," he said with an elegant bow, followed by a moment of hesitation. "How is it going?"

"Still not talking. We've been at him for what, five hours now?" Shunsui sighed, part exasperated and part in admiration for Shinrin's skill. There hadn't been a single twitch in his expression or reiatsu since the young man had started his meditation. Shunsui knew Jinzen and the effects it had on those using it, but that was different. To still be aware of the world and maintain this unnatural stillness… well, that was impressive. Granted, they had stayed civilized so far so they hadn't used more than intimidation tactics, but still. They had all been taking turns prodding and they were Captains, but Shinrin hadn't responded to any of them, only asking a handful of questions in a dead, monotone voice. Most of which they hadn't felt comfortable answering yet.

A nod of understanding. "I am not surprised."

Shunsui and several others turned to look at the young man. Raised a brow.

The feminine boy shrugged, a graceful rise and fall of shoulders, like petals drifting down. "The one who resurrected us was no fool. He did not waste his energy on people without skill."

"Fair enough," Juushirou sighed, taking another bite of rice.

Shunsui sighed as well and turned towards their resident genius. Young Kisuke was tapping his chin with the back of his chopsticks, food barely eaten and face almost as unreadable as Shinrin's, though his was a thoughtful silence instead of an empty one. As if sensing Shunsui's eyes on him, he looked up.

Catching his friend's interest, Juushirou turned towards the blond as well. "What do you think?"

Kisuke sighed. "I think Shinrin-san is exasperatingly good at pretending to be a statue. Though so far I don't get the feeling he's hostile towards us. It is a pity I only have his behaviour at the start, so I can't say much yet. His questions are interesting, but other than that he's entirely too tight-lipped." His eyes grew distant, deep in thought.

They patiently waited for him to continue.

"He's just gathering information," Kisuke decided. "Just… waiting to see what we will do." Light grey eyes turned to the boy. "You said most shinobi declare their affiliations."

There was a chuckle, soft and sweet. Truly, if he hadn't told them he was male it would be all too easy to mistake the young shinobi for a lovely girl. "Unless they're spies, yes. And he did." At their confused look he clarified, "He calls himself Shinrin, doesn't he? Then he has ties to Konoha." Brown eyes turned thoughtful. "That's probably a good thing."

Shinji raised a brow. "Yeah?"

"They are generally more peaceful. If you approach him right you might get what you want from him." Another chuckle. "Oh, don't look like that. You want more shinobi on your side and Shinrin-san might suit. The best way to accomplish that is to make a contract, like you have with me. No shinobi will break their contract as long as the terms of the agreement are met."

"Well, it is preferable," Juushirou agreed. "No offence to you, but some of your people…." He trailed off with a sigh.

A nod and a smile. "Do not worry. I know what they can be like." A thoughtful tilt of his head. "Would you mind if I saw him?"

"Not at all," Shunsui said, swallowing the last few bites before rising. "Might help if you can identify him."

The others finished their meals in a hurry and followed the two of them to the room where Shinrin was held. Kisuke just abandoned his food to wander after them.

Shinrin was still chained in the same spot they'd left him, Retsu seated at one of the tables to the side, calmly enjoying a pot of tea. Shunsui felt sorry for the young man. After this long his knees had to be killing him though you couldn't tell by looking at him. Not the slightest hint of discomfort. Admirable.

Shinrin, having sensed their approach, turned his head so he could watch them from the corner of his eyes.

Next to Shunsui, the young shinobi froze. Quietly breathed for a few long seconds, before stepping forward and crossing the threshold, kneeling a few feet from Shinrin.

For several long moments no one moved as the two shinobi studied each other.

A soft inhale. "Well," their young shinobi said, "I can honestly say I did not expect to see you here… Sasuke-san."

Shinrin's eyes opened a fraction wider, allowing them to catch a glimpse of the unsettling bright crimson Soujun had talked about. For the first time in hours Shunsui thought he might see a tiny hint of emotion on Shinrin's face.

"… Haku." A slow flutter of long lashes that would have been a blink if his eyes had been properly opened. "It has been a long time."

Shunsui blinked, caught off guard. Identifying each other was one thing, but this… "… You two know each other?"

It is never mentioned in the manga, but I think it's fair to assume that shinobi, especially those of higher rank, were trained to resist interrogation. Hence my invention of the Kaijin meditation. The origin of the meditation dates back to the Warring States Period and developed separately within different Clans, which is why there are different names for what's basically the same technique. It is not a skill that is taught to outsiders and is near impossible to imitate since it's a passive skill that does not require any outward action (such as handsigns etc.). Even after the formation of the villages the technique remained a secret. Only after the Shinobi Alliance did the variety of names become known to all villages.

I know very little Japanese so the names I gave the meditation are probably a little off, but here are the translations:

Kaijin = ash/embers/complete destruction (can also be written as mysterious person; Konoha)

Reiketsu = cold-bloodedness/cold-heartedness (general term)

Chimonamidamonai = heart of stone/cold-blooded/unfeeling/heartless/inconsiderate (Iwa)

Kanryuu = cold current (Kiri)

Note for the people who were disappointed to see more shinobi besides Sasuke in this story: I warn you right now that more are coming. There is a reason why I mentioned Edo Tensei in previous chapters. I wanted a nice but hard to repeat reason for why there are suddenly shinobi in Soul Society (Sasuke's appearance will be explained later) which gives me a few nice characters to play with without dragging the whole Naruto cast in. I'm certainly not going to use everyone who was resurrected by the Edo Tensei, but expect a few to appear.

Thank you for reading and please leave a review on your way out. Till next time!