Shinigami in the Ninja World (Re-upload)

Chapter 12: Chapter 251: Fierce Wind



Naruto believed he had a solid understanding of Quincy powers.

Masaki Kurosaki had explained them in detail, and Mayuri Kurotsuchi had covertly dissected Quincy subjects. Naruto had even come into possession of some of Mayuri's research notes.

Whether from the Quincy's own descriptions or Mayuri's objective analysis, the Quincy's abilities were direct and forceful, similar to Sage Mode, as they drew on external spiritual particles to launch powerful attacks.

That was the core of their power.

Pure-blooded Quincy had additional techniques, such as "Blut Vene," a skill Masaki Kurosaki had mastered before being tainted by the Hollow.

But this ability…

"The greater the damage, the larger the body grows—it's unreasonable, defying natural laws, almost like creating its own," Naruto thought.

It felt reminiscent of "Fullbring" abilities, where certain conditions amplified power accordingly.

"Now I am invincible!" Valkyrie shouted with excitement, clenching his fists and gazing down at Naruto. "This strength fills me with exhilaration!"

He swung his fist down like a crashing mountain.

The roof of the 1st Division barracks was torn away, shadows engulfing everything.

"Naruto Uzumaki!"

"Be grateful!"

His fist came crashing down!

Yamamoto Genryūsai watched coldly, protecting the grievously injured Chōjirō Sasakibe, who was receiving treatment from Kurama, bathed in golden light.

"I'm going in, Kurama," Naruto said.

A golden blade disturbed the air.

Kurama, deep within Naruto's subconscious, responded, "Let's do this!"

"Let's see what this guy is made of."

This time, it wasn't Naruto controlling the power as usual—it was being unleashed.

A massive paw emerged from the golden light surrounding Naruto, catching Valkyrie's fist and stopping it mid-air.

The immense pressure ceased.

Kurama roared, his massive form emerging fully from the golden light. First, a complete arm, then thick hind legs, followed by his head and torso, and finally, nine enormous tails unfurled like a blooming chrysanthemum.

The Nine-Tails now stood as tall as Valkyrie, both towering hundreds of meters high.

"You can grow to such a size?" Valkyrie grinned, laughing wildly. "It seems you have some impressive power."

"But it's useless…"

"My body is made of miracles."

"It's different from you mere mortals."

He swung another punch, and despite his larger size, his speed had increased—enough to match Kurama.

Fists collided, creating shockwaves.

In mere moments, the 1st Division barracks were utterly destroyed.

The once peaceful landscape was reduced to ruins, offices and living quarters crushed flat.

Of course, there were no cries of panic.

The soldiers had already been quietly killed in the first wave of the Quincy assault.

Valkyrie roared with delight, relishing the sheer physicality of the battle.

Kurama grinned, equally thrilled.

It had been a long time since he had a fight where he didn't need to hold back.

The battle with Kaguya didn't count—he had been completely overpowered, practically slaughtered.

Nor did his match with Kenpachi Zaraki, as Naruto hadn't allowed him to fight recklessly.

"Is this all the so-called miracle can offer?" Kurama taunted, his voice booming like thunder.

Amid the crashing "thunder," a more subtle sound arose—the soft crackle of a tail whipping through the air, much like the chains of the "Adamantine Sealing Chains."

Kurama's tails wrapped around Valkyrie's arms.

They lacked sealing power, but that wasn't needed.

The sudden shift in tactics caught Valkyrie off guard.

He hadn't prepared for it.

With his arm restrained, Kurama lunged forward, biting down hard, tearing through flesh and snapping bone.

He ripped Valkyrie's left arm clean off.

Kurama chewed on the arm briefly before spitting it out in disgust. "You don't even taste like a person," he grumbled, full of disdain.

No flavor to the blood, no texture to the meat.

Valkyrie stared at him. "You think my miracles lack weight?"

Kurama sneered, "Do they?"

"You've grown larger, but still can't surpass me…"

Before Kurama could finish, Valkyrie burst into hearty laughter, completely unfazed by the danger. "Surpass you? Why wouldn't I surpass you?"

"Because I lost an arm?"

"Because you think you've achieved something?"

"Then what if…"

"What if my arm regenerates? Would that not also be considered a miracle?"

As he spoke, golden light appeared at his severed stump, coalescing into the shape of a new arm.

It was nearly identical to the old one, except slightly larger, and intricate black patterns spread across it like a net, structured and elegant.

Kurama's eyes widened.

Inside Kurama's subconscious, Naruto narrowed his eyes.

This regeneration… it wasn't Hollow "high-speed regeneration," nor was it "spiritual healing" or Kurama's Yin-Yang Release.

It carried a familiar energy.

That same aura they had felt from the beginning, now becoming more intense and pronounced.

It was…

Similar to the aura of a Fullbringer.

But unlike those who had gained power from fragments of the Soul King, Valkyrie's energy was much more potent, almost overwhelming.

It was then that Naruto realized the energies of Fullbringers and Quincy were remarkably similar.

If the Hollow-like aspects of Fullbringers were removed, they would almost resemble Valkyrie's current state.

Could Quincy powers…

Be related to the Soul King?

Or was Valkyrie an exception, possessing a fragment of the Soul King, making his energy unique?

"Your attacks mean nothing to me!" Valkyrie's voice grew fervent, devout, and holy. "I am the embodiment of miracles!"

"Ordinary people believe that damage weakens a fighter!"

"But miracles… damage makes the warrior stronger!"

He swung his newly formed fist with tremendous force.

Wind screamed as it was torn apart.

Kurama braced himself, but the impact caused him to stagger, his massive frame stumbling several steps before he regained his balance.

Barely.

Valkyrie's strength had indeed grown along with his size.

Valkyrie pressed the attack, raining blows upon Kurama.

Kurama was forced into retreat, step by step.

"So, is this the limit of the 7th Division Captain?" Valkyrie roared with laughter, raising his hand high.

Light gathered in his hand.

A sword materialized as he drew it.

"Then die in despair!" Valkyrie sneered, his expression fierce. "Miracles are invincible!"

He thrust the sword directly at Kurama's heart.

Kurama hurriedly raised his own sword to block.

With a loud clang, sparks flew.

Valkyrie's strength didn't overwhelm Kurama, but in this clash, Kurama was at a disadvantage.

He staggered back several steps, even using his tails to help steady himself, barely avoiding falling.

Has his power increased this much?

Kurama's eyes were filled with surprise. He glanced at Valkyrie's sword.

Was it the sword?

It seemed to hold some power of its own, and combined with Valkyrie's strength, it was enough to overpower him.

So…

In his subconscious, Naruto asked, "Kurama, do you need my help?"

"No, I've got this!" Kurama snapped back, his pride unshaken. "I've already figured out how to deal with him."

Naruto hummed in acknowledgment, waiting to hear more.

Kurama continued, "It's simple. I just won't keep injuring him. I'll wait for the right moment and land a killing blow."

"He can avoid damage, but he can't avoid death."

"Even a tailed beast like me or the Soul King himself would eventually die."

"No one is immune!"

"As for now…"

"I'll destroy that strange weapon of his."

In the real world, Kurama raised a hand. His blade, imbued with the power of Yin-Yang Release, was something he could wield naturally.

But instead of summoning his fellow tailed beasts, he created two massive octopus-like creatures. Though smaller than him, at about fifty meters tall, they leaped onto Valkyrie, wrapping around his arms.

"Such tricks," Valkyrie scoffed, holding a sword in one hand and a shield in the other, both bathed in radiant holy light. "These tactics are useless against a true warrior."

The two creatures strained against him, stretching to their limits.

"A warrior cannot be bound!"

Kurama ignored his boasting and, while Valkyrie was still restrained, opened his mouth.

A Tailed Beast Bomb!

Spiritual energy gathered around him.

Valkyrie's eyes narrowed.

Manipulating external spiritual energy—this was the Quincy's specialty. Had the Shinigami evolved to possess this kind of attack?

Black and pale blue spiritual energy formed into a small sphere.

It continued to grow...

Kurama didn't fire it right away, keeping his head raised and his eyes locked on Valkyrie, watching his every move.

He was waiting.

This was a hunt.

The hunter had to be more patient than the prey.

Whoever moved first would become the prey.

Valkyrie growled, tearing the octopus creatures apart after several attempts. He swung his sword forward.

"Using Quincy techniques against me…"

Kurama's eyes gleamed, his grin widening into something monstrous and terrifying.

Valkyrie had moved too soon!

Which meant...

He was the prey, and Kurama was the hunter.

The Tailed Beast Bomb shot forward.

Valkyrie roared, charging toward it.

But the bomb wasn't aimed at him—it was aimed at his sword.

The explosion! The destruction!

Even without utilizing "Bankai," Kurama's strength, amplified by the Ten-Tails, had made the Tailed Beast Bomb far more potent than usual.

The sword, which had clashed with "Ryūjin Jakka" and emerged unscathed, now bore a faint crack.

"So that's your goal," Valkyrie sneered. "How foolish."

"This sword's name is the Sword of Hope!"

"But it's called that because of me! It is the embodiment of my hope, and as long as I hold it, it is named Hope."

"And…"

He paused.

Suddenly, Kurama felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, a massive wound appearing as if from nowhere, nearly tearing him in half.

He gritted his teeth, confused.

What just happened…?

I hit his sword, and he didn't even attack—how did I get hurt?

Where did it come from?

Naruto narrowed his eyes, thinking of the Fullbringers.

"When hope is destroyed, what comes next?" Valkyrie laughed, his voice filled with joy. "Despair!"

"And those who destroy hope are infected by despair."

"The more you damage hope, the more despair you must endure."

Kurama's eyes widened in disbelief.

What kind of nonsense is this?

You can't hurt him because the more you injure him, the stronger he becomes.

You can't destroy his weapon because damaging it will harm you instead.

So how…?

Could sheer overwhelming power kill him in one blow?

Kurama was conflicted.

The commotion at the 1st Division had already drawn the attention of the entire Seireitei.

The 2nd Division arrived first, followed by the fully mobilized 7th Division. Soon, except for the captains sent to Hueco Mundo, the others arrived one after another.

The two colossal figures, both over a hundred meters tall, were an awe-inspiring sight.

"Is that… the lieutenant?" a 7th Division soldier exclaimed in awe.

Someone nodded. "Yes, that's the true form of Lieutenant Kurama. He's probably as strong as a captain by now."

This comment came from a member of another division.

A 7th Division soldier scoffed, "Our lieutenant has been as strong as a captain for a while!"

"He can go toe-to-toe with Captain Kenpachi and hold his own."

At the mention of their lieutenant, the 7th Division soldiers couldn't hide their pride.

Having two captain-level fighters…

It was a unique strength among the Gotei 13.

"So, who is powerful enough to fight Lieutenant Kurama?" someone asked, lowering their voice.

"Another strong enemy has invaded, hasn't it?"

Since Aizen's rebellion, it had been less than a year, yet one powerful enemy after another kept appearing.

But unlike last time, there was no widespread panic.

"We have our captain," one of the 7th Division officers said firmly.

The name Naruto Uzumaki was a beacon of hope.

Aizen had been defeated because of him, and so had Muramasa. The latter was especially significant for the ordinary soldiers, providing fresh hope.

The Arrancar incident had been different. Ordinary soldiers couldn't truly grasp the extent of Aizen's power.

Though Aizen had defeated the Captain-Commander, rumors spread that he had created a special tool to counter him and that Yamamoto had lost to his own attack.

Many captains were still considered victors.

But Aizen had never engaged in direct combat.

Muramasa was different—he had controlled Zanpakutō, the very thing that defined a Shinigami's power and identity.

Naruto had shattered 'Ryūjin Jakka' head-on, even if it had been only the sword, not the Shinigami wielding it.

Still, to defeat the Captain-Commander's blade was a feat beyond belief.

It was only natural that, even among the captains, Naruto was considered the next Captain-Commander.

Valkyrie turned his gaze to the small humans beneath him.

"They arrived so quickly," he said softly, though his voice echoed like thunder to the Shinigami. "Should I reward them?"

Soi Fon narrowed her eyes, gripping her sword as she gestured for her stealth force to prepare.

Although she hadn't fully incorporated the Flying Thunder God technique into her strategy, she was already using Konoha's technique with great skill.

A large enemy like Valkyrie was her favorite type of target.

It wasn't that he was slow or clumsy…

But his large surface area gave her plenty of opportunities to strike, forcing him to expend more energy on defense.

Valkyrie raised his sword, "Apologies."

"The witnessing of this miracle ends here."

"For now, we have no intention of waging war. We're just here to deliver a message."

He paused, grinning wickedly.

"Though I believe I could easily kill you all on my own."

"But orders are orders, and following them is the honor of a warrior."

"In five days, the Wandenreich will declare war on Soul Society. Enjoy your remaining days."

With those words, spiritual energy stirred the shadows.

A thick, black substance surged from all directions, enveloping Valkyrie and the Quincy beneath his feet.

It tugged at them, pulling them away.

Inside his mind, Kurama growled, "I can't stop him, Naruto. You'll have to step in."

In the real world, Naruto waved his hand, dispersing Kurama's energy as the wind swirled and flowed around him.

"You plan to leave without my permission?" Naruto called out.

He floated in midair, eye level with Valkyrie's chest.

Valkyrie lowered his head, smirking. "Permission?"

"I've already tested your abilities."

"You're strong, but not strong enough."

He grinned.

In the Wandenreich, there was a concept known as the "Five Special War Powers." Yhwach, the leader of the Quincy, had not evaluated individuals based solely on their current strength but rather on their potential.

Among the Gotei 13, Kenpachi Zaraki's raw power, Urahara Kisuke's intelligence, and the potential of Substitute Shinigami Ichigo Kurosaki were all unknown factors.

Naruto's potential was also unknown, but…

He was different, classified as a "Singularity."

For others, their potential could be measured within a certain scope—their strengths lay in specific areas. But Naruto's unknowns were too numerous. His origins, his methods…

"Unknown" didn't fully describe him—"Unexpected" was more accurate.

For that reason, he had been classified as a "Singularity." Among all the beings worth observing, he was the most unique.

The members of the Sternritter had taken a particular interest in Naruto. Valkyrie, above all, valued honor. He cared about it more than any of his fellow Sternritter.

But after today's battle…

It seemed this "Singularity" was overhyped. He was strong, yes. But to threaten the grand ambitions of His Majesty? He was still far from that.

"You tested my abilities?" Naruto shook his head with a slight laugh. "When did you do that?"

Valkyrie paused, confused. "Just now, when we fought…"

"When we fought?" Naruto interrupted, reaching for the hilt at his waist. "Has your perception dulled that much?"

He drew his sword from its sheath, but the blade was missing—only the hilt remained.

"The one you fought wasn't me."

"That was just Kurama."

"You could say Kurama is my sword."

Valkyrie's eyes widened in shock.

A sword? The being that had nearly destroyed him multiple times—causing so much damage—wasn't even Naruto himself? It was just the sword's power?

He had assumed the golden light was Naruto's full power.

Naruto released his grip, letting the incomplete sword fall. Even the hilt began to disintegrate, crumbling into fine particles that scattered in the wind.

"So tell me, what exactly were you trying to test?"

"And what does this so-called Wandenreich plan to do?"

His voice was low, carried on the wind, as it drifted toward Valkyrie.

"I see," Valkyrie muttered, his expression heavy, a mix of guilt and frustration. "I failed to properly gauge your abilities—that's my mistake."

"As for who we are…"

"You'll find out soon enough."

"Farewell, Naruto Uzumaki."

"Next time, I will…"

His sentence trailed off.

Naruto reached out, grasping something in the air, pulling it tight as he spoke calmly, his tone carrying undeniable authority: "I believe I already told you, you don't have permission to leave."

"Seireitei is under the protection of the 7th Division."

"Do you think you can come and go as you please?"

The wind whipped past, wrapping around the sticky, black substance.

"It's useless! You can't break it!" Valkyrie roared, raising his hand as the shadows surged with greater intensity, threatening to swallow them all.

Yet at that very moment, Valkyrie's expression shifted, becoming grim.

It was failing!

The spiritual energy was penetrating the shadows, but it couldn't pull them in as before.

Just one encounter… and it had already been disrupted?

The vortex blade had unraveled the spiritual particle structure of their technique, rendering it temporarily ineffective.

The sword's power wasn't just wind—it was "disruption."

"See? Just as I said." Naruto's voice was soft as he waved his hand, the wind blowing once more, encircling Valkyrie and the remaining Quincy.

"You said you would bring despair."

"So, what now?"

"You can resist injury, but can you resist death?"

The wind sliced through Valkyrie's skin, slipping through the gaps in his muscles and blood vessels, invading his body, eating away at his internal organs, tearing them apart.

Kidneys, liver, heart… all were shredded simultaneously, and with them, death descended upon Valkyrie.

His spiritual pressure vanished, and his massive body collapsed, raising a cloud of dust and leaving a crater in the ground.

"For the rest of you," Naruto said, extending his hand as the wind gathered at his fingertips, forming a small, dagger-like blade, "this is your chance to prove your worth."

"Speak. Tell me what the Wandenreich is. And everything you know."

"Only valuable prisoners can stay alive. If you can't prove your worth, then your only value will be in death."

From the crowd, Mayuri Kurotsuchi spoke up, a mocking smile on his face: "Naruto may oppose human experimentation, but he's not merciful toward enemies."

"I've been wanting Quincy specimens for a long time."

"Especially now that they've shown such unique abilities."

He raised his hand, his voice gleeful, twisted with obsessive fervor.

The masked Quincy didn't respond.

Naruto watched them for a long moment.

Still no reaction…

"Captain Kurotsuchi, you can take care of the rest." Naruto spoke calmly, without hesitation, delivering his judgment. "They're all yours."

He hadn't even finished his sentence when a voice suddenly rang out behind him.

"Did you really think I was dead?"

Everyone turned in shock, staring at the colossal "corpse." Slowly, Naruto turned to face the resurgent spiritual pressure.

It was Valkyrie.

Naruto had completely destroyed his internal organs, leaving him an empty shell. Under normal circumstances, he shouldn't have been able to survive, let alone remain so full of life and strength—let alone become even more powerful.

"You forget, Naruto Uzumaki—I am the embodiment of miracles." The massive figure rose again, spiritual energy coursing through him, black markings spreading across his skin like totems.

"Resurrection—isn't that a miracle?" Valkyrie grinned widely, radiant as the sun as wings unfurled behind him.

He extended his right hand, gripping the even more radiant Sword of Hope. His left hand grasped a shield glowing like the sun.

"Vortex's power, hmm?" Valkyrie sneered, his voice sharp. "You've already shown me everything you can."

"Do you have anything new to offer?"

"Because this… isn't enough."

He raised his sword high, slashing downward.

Naruto's expression remained calm as he lifted his hand, the wind following his gesture.

It bypassed the Sword of Hope.

The ability to reflect damage back to the attacker was still a mystery to him.

But…

Not every power needed to be met head-on.

The sword never fell.

Valkyrie's arm was severed mid-swing by the vortex.

With a thud, his right hand, along with the Sword of Hope, dropped to the ground.

And that was just the beginning.

The wind continued to howl.

~~~

I'm tired almost 3.5k words.


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