Shinigami in the Ninja World (Re-upload)

The wind blew, but it couldn't disperse the tense atmosphere.

Ichigo Kurosaki stood there, utterly at a loss.

He felt like the protagonist in some romantic novel, with two outstanding men fighting over who would decide his fate.

He held his sword behind his back, stiff and numb, wanting to speak but not knowing what to say.

Should he support Naruto?

His heart leaned in that direction. But even though Uncle Naruto could speak with such confidence, Ichigo didn't know how to do the same. It felt as though if he spoke up, he'd become a "selfish coward" who didn't care about the fate of the three worlds.

Could he support the monk instead?

No, he couldn't. He didn't agree with him, and he certainly wasn't going to side against Uncle Naruto, who had always treated him well. He wasn't ungrateful enough to do that.

"Let them handle it," came a voice from behind, breaking Ichigo's inner turmoil.

Ichigo turned around.

It was a man with a pompadour hairstyle, who had appeared silently behind him.

Or rather…

Ichigo was the only one who hadn't noticed his arrival.

Naruto and the monk had already turned to look at him the moment he appeared.

"So, this is Ichigo Kurosaki?" Tenjirō Kirinji remarked, patting the orange-haired boy on the shoulder. "He's pretty beat up."

"I'll take him for now and heal him," he continued.

Naruto's gaze rested on Kirinji.

"What you're worried about isn't something I can decide," Kirinji shrugged and shook his head. "Naruto-chan, my job is simply to heal Ichigo Kurosaki—nothing more."

He paused, then added in a more serious tone, "Just like with you, my task is to do what needs to be done for Ichigo, along with the others—Oetsu, Senjumaru…"

"And that's it."

Naruto glanced at the monk, then nodded. "Alright, take Ichigo for now."

"Don't worry," Kirinji chuckled. "After a soak in my hot springs, he'll be up and kicking in no time." With that, he grabbed Ichigo's wrist, and they vanished with a 'shunpo'.

Once they were gone, the monk finally spoke again: "So, are you really going to fight me, Naruto-chan?"

"If you're still intent on making Ichigo the 'linchpin,'" Naruto responded firmly, not backing down, "and reason won't work, then I'll have to use force."

The monk grinned. "You're talented, more gifted than Yamamoto."

"And very powerful."

"I heard from Nimaiya that you've surpassed the concept of being a 'Shinigami.' And unlike that criminal Aizen Sōsuke, you've chosen a different path."

"But…"

"I'm different from them, and from anyone you've faced."

"You won't win with force alone."

His confidence was unshakable, his tone calm and certain.

"The purpose of Ichigo Kurosaki is to become the linchpin."

"As long as I'm here, the Soul King won't be harmed. The Zero Division exists to protect the Soul King."

"However…"

"To account for that one-in-a-million chance…"

Naruto frowned.

In the monk's perspective, his confidence was absolute.

But from Naruto's view, the Soul King had already resolved to die.

What the monk had said led Naruto to one conclusion: the Soul King would perish during this war, whether by someone else's hand or by his own.

So…

The issue of the "linchpin" needed to be settled before the Soul King's death—not afterward, when Ichigo might indeed be forced into that role.

The monk's expression shifted slightly. "Is it what the Soul King told you that makes you so concerned?"

"That only makes it more necessary…"

"For Ichigo to be kept as a backup."

He raised his hand, launching the first strike.

"'Senri Tsūtenshō'."

Spiritual energy instantly gathered into an enormous hand, towering dozens of meters high, descending toward Naruto with overwhelming force.

"Naruto Uzumaki, you're still too young."

"Mercy…"

"Is not a quality a strong person like you should have."

"Reflect on that."

The giant hand swept down, creating a fierce gust of wind.

Though not filled with killing intent, the attack carried an overwhelming arrogance, as if intended simply to "teach him a lesson."

Naruto remained expressionless as he drew his sword.

In his hand, the blade dissolved into tiny particles, riding the wind from the giant hand and rapidly expanding.

"Disturb, 'Vortex'."

Though the form had changed, the essence of the power had not.

His weapon began to release its force.

The giant hand froze mid-air, cracking as the spiritual structure holding it together unraveled.

Before it could even touch Naruto, it collapsed into a swirling storm of spiritual particles, dissipating into the sky.

"So that's the power of your sword?" The monk narrowed his eyes, spiritual energy gathering in his pupils. "It's impressive."

"But…"

"You seem to underestimate me."

"This alone won't be enough to defeat me."

"The strongest Shinigami is Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto."

"And like you, I serve in the Zero Division simply by choosing to be a Shinigami."

He reached for his waist and drew a weapon.

But instead of a typical blade, he held a long brush, its bristles dripping with ink, soft and flexible.

Yet the spiritual pressure it emitted made it clear—it was a Zanpakutō.

"As for how I came to be, I was born into this world before the creation of the three worlds," the monk's voice was calm, his eyes rolling back into his head as his pupils disappeared, leaving only the whites of his eyes.

"The Soul King gave me the name 'the Monk Who Calls the Real Name.'"

"And with that name came an ability…"

"It's also why I'm the one who stayed by the Soul King's side, not the Five Great Noble Houses."

"As I mentioned before…"

"I can name anything in existence, and likewise, I can strip away anything's name."

With a flick of the large brush in his hand, ink splattered across the ground, the droplets scattering like stones.

"Dye it black! 'Ichimonji'!"

As he spoke, a cold light flashed.

In the instant his Zanpakutō was released, the sense that everything around them had been drained of color became even clearer.

Light itself seemed to dim.

Kurama's expression grew serious.

Just sensing this power made him feel uneasy.

"Now there's no turning back." The monk grinned widely, brandishing his brush. "Unlike those in the Seireitei…"

"They pamper you."

"But I won't."

"Young people need to learn their limits, to understand what they can and cannot do."

"You need to mature, Naruto Uzumaki, or…"

"How will you ever lead the Gotei 13 in the future?"

With a sudden step forward, the monk vanished, using a speed that combined the Shinigami's 'Shunpo' with the Quincy's 'Hirenkyaku'.

He was incredibly fast!

The history of the Three Worlds spanned millions of years.

Which meant…

This man's lifespan was likely just as long.

With that much time, and the confidence in his smile, his skills and abilities had been honed to a terrifying degree.

Especially someone like him.

His sword slashed downward.

Kurama barely managed to react, flicking his tail toward the monk's body.

But it was a moment too late.

Naruto caught the movement, reaching out to grab the brush.

The wind and particles swirled, wrapping around the brush, pulling the monk off balance.

His attack failed.

Yet the monk simply smiled. "Do you know the power of 'Ichimonji'?"

Naruto's expression shifted slightly.

Kurama noticed something too, turning his gaze toward Naruto in disbelief.

"The 'Name Severing,'" the monk patiently explained. "It works just like what you're experiencing now—"

Naruto glanced down at his hands.

His spiritual energy…

Hadn't diminished or disappeared, but it had inexplicably been halved.

"Don't misunderstand. It's not just your spiritual energy," the monk said, pointing his sword directly at Naruto. "It's your power."

"Every aspect of your strength has been reduced by half."

Naruto reached out again.

The swirling wind of 'Vortex' still blew, but just as the monk had said, to produce the same effect as before now required significantly more spiritual energy.

His power had weakened, and the energy cost had increased.

Even so…

Naruto grabbed the second sword at his waist.

"Kurama."

The fox shrank back, retreating into Naruto's inner world.

"Half of Kurama."

"Even with half our strength, we can still defeat him."

Kurama knew what Naruto intended to do. Against an enemy of this caliber, with such rule-defying abilities, simply using the power of 'Shikai'—Kurama's basic form—wouldn't be enough.

Only one option remained.

Naruto let out a sharp breath. "'Bankai'—"

Finally, the monk's expression changed. Though his eyes were now completely white like the 'Byakugan', his face betrayed his surprise.

According to his information, Naruto shouldn't be able to use 'Bankai', not with either "Kurama" or "Vortex."

But the first 'Bankai' Naruto revealed…

Was "Kurama"?

The incantation echoed through the air.

"Three Evils, Three Virtues: Six Paths Nine-Tails."

Golden light enveloped Naruto, bright and radiant.

Six Paths markings, tomoe symbols, and flowing robes…

All adorned him in their full splendor.

The monk's expression grew heavier.

It wasn't the sheer strength of the spiritual pressure that concerned him—it was the symbolic nature of the power.

Much like his own, this sword's power extended beyond just "Shinigami energy."

So, before 'Vortex' was even reforged, Naruto Uzumaki had already been walking this path?

And there was more.

Naruto raised his hand, and with the 'Bankai''s activation, the half of his power that had been stripped away returned, amplified even further.

With a flick of his fingers, the wind stirred once again.

Spiritual particles adhered to Naruto's energy.

'Sage Mode' activated at that moment.

The golden cloak was now overlaid with a shimmering layer of multicolored light.

Holy, radiant, and majestic beyond compare.

From the outside, he looked like the most precious divine being.

"The combination of true strength and Quincy-like techniques…" the monk murmured, his tone no longer calm. "This exceeds my expectations."

"Naruto…"

"The Soul King has always remained silent."

"But no matter where your power comes from, today, I will ensure you learn a valuable lesson."

He paused for a moment, deep in thought.

"The ability I have would be too cruel for you—it's not yet time for us to engage in a life-or-death battle."

"So—"

Spiritual energy gathered within him.

"You may have heard, before Zanpakutō were created, Shinigami could develop a power similar to modern 'Bankai', called 'True Strike'."

"It's different from 'Bankai'."

"Your Kurama, your Vortex—these powers you release should also be classified as True Strike, rather than the typical 'Bankai' of most Shinigami."

"Allow me to teach you."

"How to truly wield True Strike."

Though he spoke of teaching, he didn't release the ability immediately. Instead, he swung 'Ichimonji', splattering ink in all directions.

Naruto stayed cautious.

If struck, half his strength would be stripped away…

And worse, he didn't know if the effect could stack.

If it could, a few strikes might reduce his strength to that of a mere seated officer.

'Shunpo', 'Flying Thunder God', 'Hirenkyaku'…

Naruto employed various footwork techniques in succession. The monk's 'Shunpo' was fast, but keeping up with Naruto and landing a hit proved difficult.

After that first strike, the monk hadn't been able to land another.

Yet…

Inside Naruto's mind.

Kurama grumbled, "What's up with that brush of his? One moment it's a blade, the next it's dripping ink everywhere."

"And it's so messy."

Naruto smirked. How could Kurama complain about getting dirty when it was Naruto himself who had to deal with the mess?

But he was curious too.

The ink didn't seem to affect his strength or movement, but it did feel uncomfortable, like a lingering grime.

As Naruto's body became increasingly stained with ink, the monk suddenly stopped and grinned, raising his sword and chanting.

"True Strike!"

"White Brush 'Ichimonji'."

The monk's sword changed slightly, with the tip reverting to a brush-like form. The ink disappeared, leaving the bristles clean and white.

A dense, pure white spiritual pressure spread from the monk's body, rippling outward like waves.

"Until now, I hadn't had the chance to show you the full extent of 'Ichimonji''s power."

"Besides halving your strength, it can also erase the names of anything it stains black."

"Do you feel it?"

Naruto stood still, squinting slightly.

So…

Erasing names?

It was strange—he still clearly remembered his own name.

Within his mind, Kurama likewise scoffed, unimpressed, and yelled out, "I haven't forgotten your name, Naruto!"

~~~

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