Shinigami in the Ninja World (Re-upload)

In the Seireitei, beneath the Spirit King's Palace...

As Jūshirō Ukitake began to remove his clothing, he paused, looking up at the sky.

"It stopped," he murmured softly.

"So that disturbance wasn't caused by the Spirit King's death?" Shunsui Kyōraku squinted, also glancing upward. "Was it their fight shaking everything?"

"Incredible. The whole world was..."

Yamamoto stayed silent. Despite his long life, even he, like the younger officers, had never experienced anything like this. He, too, was uncertain about what had truly happened or what had caused the previous tremors.

"Don't get your hopes up," a dry voice sounded suddenly among them. "It 'was' the Spirit King's death."

They turned.

It was Mayuri Kurotsuchi—or rather, another one of his clones—who walked in from outside, eyeing Ukitake intently. "So this is the Spirit King's fragment within Captain Ukitake, isn't it? Mimihagi?"

"Hmm… just as I suspected. That strange, serene power is part of the Spirit King's body," Mayuri said with a slight smirk. "And to use such power so readily… Captain Ukitake, that's just like you."

"Had you not been plagued by illness, you would have been the Captain-Commander's ideal successor, even over Naruto," he continued, observing Jūshirō's calm silence as he redressed, choosing not to respond.

His knowledge was enough to confirm that Mayuri had uncovered every detail.

"So the Spirit King is dead?" The Captain-Commander finally spoke, gazing at the clone.

"Yes," Mayuri nodded, raising a hand with a faintly delighted expression. "Captain Uzumaki anticipated this outcome. He even pulled Kisuke Urahara over from the World of the Living, seemingly to create a new 'lynchpin.'"

He stopped and looked at the Captain-Commander, smiling.

"Captain Uzumaki asked me to convey something else; I nearly forgot while preoccupied with the lynchpin. He's apprehended Tokinada Tsunayashiro to use for its creation."

The Captain-Commander stared at Mayuri.

He wasn't easily deceived. With his powers, he could feel the clash of spiritual pressure between two Captains quite distinctly. Until now, he hadn't known why Naruto had confronted Tokinada, but it was becoming clear.

Mayuri, though, seemed to be enjoying this a bit too much.

"But if the Spirit King truly perished, why did it stop?" Jūshirō Ukitake continued to gaze skyward. "Naruto's abilities are formidable, but the Spirit King is beyond that. Ordinary Kidō would have no effect on him."

"Only Mimihagi could..."

Upon hearing of the Spirit King's death, Jūshirō had immediately prepared to sacrifice himself, intending to harness Mimihagi's power to stabilize the realms. He knew only he could wield that power.

Mimihagi governed "Stillness." At age three, Jūshirō had suffered from a debilitating, incurable illness. In desperation, his parents took him to Mimihagi's shrine, offering his diseased lung as a tribute in exchange for Mimihagi's power.

The reason he had never fully recovered was that he'd been missing a lung ever since. And the only reason he had survived without it was due to the binding power of Mimihagi.

Only a fragment of the Spirit King could stabilize the world.

"It's not just the Spirit King's right hand," Mayuri interjected, shaking his head dismissively. "Captain Uzumaki has something even more important than your right hand."

He paused.

"The Spirit King's heart."

Hearing this, memories returned to the others.

That Quincy named Valkyrie, who possessed the power of "resurrection"…

"I see," Jūshirō murmured softly.

Shunsui's face was grave.

"The real me and Urahara are conducting experiments now," Mayuri continued with a sly grin, "on creating a replacement for the Spirit King. With a successful precedent, it shouldn't be long before it's complete..."

"Urahara and I will soon head to the Spirit King's Palace with the new lynchpin."

"Captain-Commander..."

Yamamoto nodded quietly. "I've already arranged for Kukaku Shiba to prepare."

"Captain Soi Fon from the 2nd Division, Captain Kyōraku from the 8th, and Captain Kaien Shiba from the 5th will accompany you."

Mayuri tilted his head slightly. "Impressive, Captain-Commander. Quite thorough."

Just as he was about to say something further, he paused as though receiving new information, then chuckled. "Let's go. The preliminary work is complete; we're only missing the final piece."

A few minutes later…

At the Shiba residence, the Captains ascended the Tenchuuren, rising toward the Spirit King's Palace in the sky.

...

Above the Spirit King's Palace…

Naruto swung his blade, sending a gale-like wall of wind slashing down over the dark spiritual pressure flowing on the ground.

"It's useless. This is the Spirit King's power," Yhwach said, as though restraining something in his voice. "It can't be neutralized by just any—"

His words were cut short. The wind wall flowed in a fierce, piercing arrow that shot directly toward him, striking through his body in an unexpected blow.

"If I can't stop the transfer," Naruto said calmly, "then I'll just stop the source instead." He stepped forward, Vortex's blade shimmering with light. "Let's do this, Kurama."

Inside his mind, Kurama responded eagerly, "Yeah, let's teach this arrogant guy a lesson!"

Kurama disliked Yhwach. There was something about his arrogance… no, it wasn't just that—it was worse than even Madara Uchiha's self-assurance.

Naruto and Kurama had always been looked down upon by others, even those stronger than themselves. But never had they felt such utter disdain directed back at them like this.

Golden energy surged, radiating brilliantly as nine tails-like appendages floated around him, moving like an extension of himself. He charged, blade in hand.

Yhwach barely managed to lift his sword to block, while his other hand pulled the spiritual arrow from his chest. "This isn't how Shinigami fight," he said.

"When it's a fight to the death, does the method matter?" Naruto raised his other hand, gathering energy as wind formed into a visible sphere, solidifying. "As long as it hurts the enemy, it's fair play."

'Rasengan.'

But this Rasengan was nothing like the ninjutsu it used to be. Its form was the same, but its core was filled with concentrated 'Vortex' power.

The Rasengan smashed down.

Yhwach's expression remained steady as blue veins of spiritual energy appeared on his neck.

'Blut Vene.'

It was a Quincy power imprinted within his bloodline.

"I've always hated you," he said, as the Rasengan smashed down without doing substantial harm, the spiritual particles within it scattering off him like sparks. "Ever since I first knew you existed as I reclaimed my power, I've hated you."

"I can't see you."

"Even now, with the Spirit King dead... my eyes still cannot see you."

In every future Yhwach could perceive, there was no line that crossed paths with Naruto Uzumaki.

He could see so much... he had seen Uryū Ishida's eventual rebellion, even seen the upcoming battle with Haschwalth. He saw Ichigo Kurosaki facing him, saw Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihōin, and Ichigo's other friends…

He could see many things—some different from the current moment—yet, even still…

He could not see Naruto Uzumaki.

"This feeling disgusts me. My ability should not allow for an anomaly like you," Yhwach said, extending his left hand to intercept an incoming attack. In that instant, a spectral arm of spiritual power extended from 'Vortex' blade, gripping a sword.

It was Kurama's arm wielding a sword known as 'Fox Hidden in the Mirror'.

The strike was fierce and unexpected, yet Yhwach stopped it with his hand as though he had predicted it.

Chains whipped around, silently looping behind Yhwach, aimed at his back.

But his Blut Vene formed a barrier, blocking each chain with a sapphire sheen.

However, Yhwach could only dodge the fatal or severely wounding attacks, finding it difficult to avoid the minor ones.

A flash of white lightning struck, grazing his ear, cutting off the top.

Their battle raged, spiritual pressure rolling outward, pushing onlookers further from the Spirit King's Palace.

"What power…" After dozens of exchanges, Yhwach's body was in disarray. While he had no severe injuries, his body was covered in countless small cuts and bruises. "So even without an explanation, you noticed."

"My ability to foresee anything, but everything related to you is blocked, but I can still see myself."

"Do you know..."

"For that brief moment, I glimpsed hundreds of ways I could die."

"While I couldn't see who would kill me… I'm sure you are the only one who could."

Naruto's face remained expressionless as he raised his hand. "No wonder…"

"I kept wondering how you could always evade attacks that should've killed you."

"But…"

"If I can't take you down in one hit, I'll do it slowly."

He paused, recalling his previous battles.

"Just like how I defeated Valkyrie and then Haschwalth… you Quincies sure have a surprising number of ways to keep yourselves alive."

Yhwach looked down at his injuries. "You seem to have forgotten that omniscience and omnipotence are only part of my power. Besides that… I can bestow power."

"This 'bestowing' ability isn't just for others."

"It works for me, too."

He pressed a hand to his chest, saying, "I bestow upon myself a complete body."

With that, all his minor injuries instantly vanished.

"Then… I grant myself full spiritual pressure."

In mere seconds, all the power he had expended was restored.

Yhwach smirked. "Even though my ability fails to work on you, what remains of my power is more than enough to achieve victory."

"Surrender, Naruto Uzumaki."

"No matter how long you drag this out, once the Spirit King's heart's energy depletes, the end will come."

"No matter how long this takes, I can wait."

"But can you afford that… considering those you care for?"

He nodded toward something.

Naruto glanced over.

While he'd been fighting Yhwach, the remaining Quincy forces had encircled Ichigo Kurosaki.

"My interest in Ichigo Kurosaki extends beyond his ability to kill the Spirit King…" Yhwach continued. "There is another reason."

"But before I explain that… let me thank you."

Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"Thank me?"

"For killing Haschwalth," Yhwach chuckled.

Naruto was confused. Why would Yhwach be grateful for the death of the Quincy with the "B" Schrift, second in rank to him?

"Since birth, I have held the power to bestow and reclaim," Yhwach said, with satisfaction. "Someone like me is a rare breed among Quincies."

"Haschwalth was the same. However, he only held the ability to 'bestow.'"

"So at night, we would exchange powers."

"This means that during those hours, I am without my omniscience and omnipotence."

"But you killed him, so now I retain that power permanently."

"In doing so, I glimpsed yet another path to my death."

"In that vision… I saw clearly who would kill me."

"It's Ichigo Kurosaki."

"If Haschwalth were alive, I wouldn't have seen it. And even if he knew, he wouldn't have told me."

"So truly, Naruto Uzumaki, thank you."

...

Outside the Spirit King's Palace

"How pathetic, only one left standing," Lille Barro sneered. "With Naruto Uzumaki occupied with His Majesty, no one can save you now."

Uryū Ishida adjusted his glasses, stepping forward. "Leave him to me."

"I've wanted to kill him ever since the World of the Living, but His Majesty stayed my hand then."

"But now…"

"He's completed his task as a tool for His Majesty, so let me finish our story myself."

Ichigo Kurosaki panted. "Uryū…"

The Quincies looked around, hesitating.

"Is there a problem?" Uryū Ishida turned to Barro, the highest-ranked of the remaining Sternritter. "As the Heir…"

"This is His Majesty's command," Barro interrupted. "Leave no one alive."

"Use full force, and kill Ichigo Kurosaki."

Uryū Ishida fell silent.

"Let's just get this over with. It's an order from His Majesty," Barro raised his weapon, an elaborately crafted sniper rifle composed of pure reishi.

Barro wasted no time. He aimed, his finger on the trigger.

A shot was fired, aimed directly at Ichigo Kurosaki.

~~~

Patreon(.)com/Bleam

— Completed in Patreon