Shinigami in the Ninja World (Re-upload)

The "cocoons" were breaking one by one.

The wind howled, sweeping across the area. It was natural wind, unrelated to any power.

In the air, traces of the "Six Paths Power," or rather high-level chakra, drifted with the breeze. Hints of Madara Uchiha, Kurama, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, and even faint, nearly imperceptible traces of Obito Uchiha lingered.

But…

There was no sign of the Sage of Six Paths, the man known as Hagoromo. He seemed completely unconcerned with what was happening in the world, as though even the potential destruction of the world wasn't as compelling to him as the death of one individual.

"He hasn't shown up," Kurama muttered, a slight hint of disappointment in his eyes.

It had been a long time since he had seen the old man.

"Looks like he has some reason he can't appear in the physical world," Naruto said calmly, turning his head as he walked back into the house.

Karin was still in a coma.

He reached out, using Kaido. The green light of reika covered her whole body.

Naruto then flipped his hand and retrieved her body.

"The power of the Shinigami can heal the soul."

"Chakra can replenish lost life energy."

The effects were immediate. A hint of red started to return to her hair, inching slowly upwards like an army of ants on the march.

"Next, are you going to look for the Sage of Six Paths?" Kurama jumped down from Naruto's shoulder, settling into a comfortable position on the simple bed. After a moment, his head perked up, looking at the golden-haired boy with an expectant gaze.

He didn't say a word.

Naruto drew his blade, and the power of Kurama swirled around it, transforming the bed beneath Kurama into a soft cushion.

Kurama, satisfied, settled down with a gentle snore.

Canine creatures often display this gentle, carefree behavior when healing.

"No need to rush to find him," Naruto sheathed his sword and continued healing Karin's injuries. "The Pure Land is there, it's not going anywhere."

"Before meeting the Sage of Six Paths, there are a few things I need to take care of."

As he had initially suspected, chakra wasn't a pure form of energy. Calling it "parasitic" wasn't entirely accurate either—it was more like those who practiced with this energy became "fertilizer."

But what was this fertilizer nourishing?

If it was a tree, the result should be fruit.

Regardless, he needed to consider how to deal with it.

Strip the world of its right to use chakra?

Now that Kaguya was sealed, and the Sage of Six Paths was likely in the Pure Land, unable to intervene in the physical world for some strange reason, Naruto, having mastered Kurama's "Bankai," held control over the highest authority regarding chakra.

Using the power of the God Tree, it wouldn't be impossible to strip chakra from the world.

Naruto was tempted by the thought.

Perhaps...

Stripping chakra wouldn't bring immediate peace to the world, just as the Soul Society's human world wasn't free from conflict. Ordinary humans didn't know about Shinigami or Fullbringers, yet they still used their abilities to wage wars, devastating in their scale.

At the very least, he could reduce one reason for war in this world.

But after pondering for a moment, Naruto abandoned the idea.

It sounded appealing, but…

Wouldn't that make him no different from Madara Uchiha?

Maybe he would better understand the consequences of his actions and wouldn't let his mind or will be manipulated by anyone. But aside from that, this kind of action was essentially the same—claiming to act "for their own good" while violating their fundamental autonomy.

Naruto hated being treated that way.

He shouldn't become the kind of person he despised.

The right to use chakra shouldn't be so crudely stripped away.

But souls…

Perhaps he should find a way to extract chakra from souls.

The first thing that came to his mind was the '13th Division Purification Team.'

In his original conception of the Soul Society for the Ninja World, there wasn't a need for a purification team.

The Soul Society required one because of the vast divide between the living world and the Soul Society, as well as the fact that without a proper soul burial, souls in the living world would degrade into Hollows after a certain time.

But the Ninja World had no such concerns.

Naruto planned to set the Land of Whirlpools as the entry point to the Pure Land and place Kaguya's sealed space there.

But now it seemed that the Purification Team would soon find the right people for the job.

As he thought about this, Karin coughed a few times, waking up. After a moment, she told Naruto everything that had happened in the Infinite Tsukuyomi world.

"There was a voice whispering to me the whole time," she said after confirming that Naruto had dealt with Kaguya. She smiled and muttered, "Was that my zanpakutō calling my name?"

"But..."

"I already have the Dragon Vein sword, and I don't have any other zanpakutō."

Naruto smiled and shook his head. "That's 'Asauchi.'"

"The voice you're hearing is the power within you. Now that there's nothing else to disturb us, I'll help forge an Asauchi for you. You should be able to perform a basic release with ease."

Karin smiled in return.

Kurama wagged its tail, the missing part of which had already begun to regrow slowly.

Before forging the Asauchi, Naruto hadn't forgotten something else.

He pulled out another scroll, tossed it on the ground, and with a clatter, the scroll opened slightly, and a soul drifted out, unsteady and disheveled.

It wasn't that the person wanted to come out—it was simply that the scroll could no longer contain him.

With short white hair, blood-red Sharingan eyes, and a pale, almost transparent body, Obito Uchiha appeared.

Obito had been sealed by Naruto, his soul bound.

"...Naruto," Obito spoke, his tone filled with strange sorrow, though neither anger nor hatred.

After his failure, after breaking free from that fervor and complex mix of emotions...

Clarity returned to his mind, allowing him to regain some semblance of what could be called "humanity."

"I told you, you don't deserve to say my name," Naruto responded coolly, his voice steady. "Obito Uchiha, don't bother putting on this fake remorseful act—it's meaningless."

Obito opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted.

"And don't talk about atoning either," Naruto sneered. "That would just make you more pathetic."

Obito lowered his head.

Was he to be forged into a sword?

He didn't have time to say anything else before Naruto stretched out his hand, casting the Adamantine Sealing Chains and other techniques, binding Obito's soul once more.

Outside, there was a surge of powerful chakra.

The house remained quiet, but the identity of the person arriving was unmistakable.

Sasuke Uchiha.

"Is it over?" Sasuke asked as he entered the room, first glancing at Naruto, then shifting his gaze to the man who had been sealed.

His eyes locked onto the scarlet Sharingan.

"This is..." He took a breath, his voice heavy.

Naruto nodded. "It's him."

"How do you plan to deal with him?" Sasuke clenched his fists. It didn't take him long to realize that Obito Uchiha was in a soul state, but even so, he felt that stripping Obito of his physical body wasn't enough punishment for everything he had done.

The heinous crimes Obito had committed couldn't be atoned for with just his life.

"How about using his Mangekyō Sharingan to forge a zanpakutō?" Naruto asked softly.

"A zanpakutō?" Sasuke considered it and nodded. "That's a good idea."

"Should I go fetch Orochimaru for you?"

Naruto smiled. "More like capture him."

Orochimaru's worst fears had come true. After Naruto dealt with Madara and Kaguya, he wasted no time tracking him down.

Orochimaru had tried to hedge his bets using Kabuto, but his plans had been exposed.

However, Naruto hadn't punished Kabuto.

Kabuto had remained unwaveringly loyal to Orochimaru, willing to take all the blame and punishment himself.

As a result, Orochimaru's body had been stripped away, leaving only his soul behind. He had become the first person in Naruto's plan to become an official Shinigami.

Of course, his hands had not been returned to him.

And his movements were restricted—he was confined to the small house Naruto had built for him in the Land of Rain, where he spent day and night forging Asauchis.

The chakra stripped from souls was the best material.

Sasuke had been busy.

He had become the de facto ruler of the living world, managing the lives of both ninja and civilians. This was a field entirely different from warfare and strategy, leaving him overwhelmed.

Thankfully...

He possessed enough power to solve disputes caused by conflicts in a completely different way.

Once Karin and Kurama had fully healed...

"Tomorrow, let's head to the Pure Land together," Naruto said, lying on the bed and gazing out the open window at the starry night sky. The fragmented remains of the shattered moon lingered beside the new moon, their dull light creating a layered effect like clusters of brilliant stars.

Kurama agreed.

Karin also cheerfully accepted.

She talked excitedly with Naruto about her progress over the past few days.

None of the zanpakutō Orochimaru had forged belonged to him. Naruto had forbidden him from using any. Orochimaru, knowing he was at fault, had only asked once or twice. After Naruto's clear refusal, he hadn't dared to ask again.

Karin was the first to receive an Asauchi.

Her progress was swift, and the whispers in her mind grew clearer. It wouldn't be long before she could perform a basic release.

As for Obito Uchiha...

His chakra wasn't yet powerful enough to forge a zanpakutō like the Dragon Vein sword. Orochimaru was still working on how to forge a zanpakutō that could maintain Obito's chakra essence while imbuing it with a unique power like the Dragon Vein.

It was a troublesome problem.

It wasn't until late at night that they finally went to sleep.

When Naruto awoke again, the familiar smell of the barracks wafted into his nose.

He opened his eyes to find his surroundings just as familiar.

He was back in the barracks of the 7th Division.

Had he... returned again?

His time in the Ninja World hadn't been long—not even a full month.

Naruto furrowed his brow in confusion.

What was going on? Why had these two crossings been so frequent?

Was it a special case?

Or would this be a regular occurrence?

He couldn't figure it out.

But since he was back, there were still important matters in the Soul Society that needed his attention.

He got up, freshened up, and headed to his office.

Captain Soi Fon of the 2nd Division was already there, as usual.

But today was different from before. She wasn't processing paperwork—she was staring into space. When she heard Naruto's footsteps, she snapped out of it, turning to face him with a focused look.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked.

Soi Fon's deep brown eyes were filled with determination.

"Captain Naruto, I have something to ask of you." She took a deep breath, stepped out from behind her desk, and knelt before him in a formal bow.

Naruto stretched out his hand, sending out adamantine chains to lift her. "There's no need for such formality between us. Just tell me."

Soi Fon spoke firmly, "I want to learn a technique from you."

"That technique..."

"The one that allows space-time teleportation."

Naruto raised an eyebrow in thought. "You mean the Flying Thunder God Technique?"

Soi Fon nodded. "Yes."

"Your flash step is one of the best in the entire Soul Society," Naruto said, shaking his head. "That technique may seem impressive, but for a master of flash step like you, it wouldn't offer much improvement."

Soi Fon shook her head and drew her sword. "I'm not learning it for flash steps."

"It's for my zanpakutō."

Naruto's interest piqued.

"My zanpakutō is called 'Suzumebachi.' When released, it can kill with two strikes, but those two strikes must hit the exact same spot," Soi Fon explained softly. "I've always believed this zanpakutō is powerful."

"And it is. But I'm too weak."

"Even against opponents slightly slower than me in flash step, it's difficult to hit the same spot twice."

"I've been discussing this with Yoruichi-sama as well."

"Captain Naruto, your 'Flying Thunder God' seems like it can mark enemies for teleportation."

Naruto nodded, deep in thought. "So, you want to learn 'Flying Thunder God' and combine it with Suzumebachi's marking ability?"

The mark left by Suzumebachi's sting was called the 'Suzumebachi Crest.'

Soi Fon's expression was serious. "Yes, I want to learn Flying Thunder God."

"With that, once I hit my target, I'll be able to track them down anywhere."

"My zanpakutō will truly become an assassination weapon."

Her voice held excitement.

Once she mastered this technique, she could strike her enemy once and then relentlessly pursue them, never letting them escape. There was nothing more satisfying than that.

Naruto smiled and agreed. "Of course, I can teach you."

"This technique shouldn't be too difficult for you."

~~~

Back to Seireitei! Let's go! The ninja world was fun, but now let's see what's going to happen in Soul Society.