Shinigami in the Ninja World (Re-upload)

A beam of light. Narrow and swift.

Unlike the traditional "bow" used by Quincy, this individual's weapon resembles a more modern "firearm," reflecting contemporary human development. However, regardless of the medium used to channel one's power, the essence of that power remains unchanged. A different medium does not inexplicably amplify its potency.

It's simply a matter of preference. While some favor the bow, Lille Barro has a particular fondness for firearms. Whether bullets or arrows, they are all "Heilig Pfeil" for the Quincy.

Ichigo Kurosaki raised his sword, attempting to block the bullet. His reaction was swift, and to the naked eye, it appeared he had raised his sword horizontally just before the bullet struck him. And yet…

His body arched forward like a spring under tension. Though he positioned his sword as a shield, his shoulder was hit, the bullet piercing through. His mind went blank.

What happened? It seemed like he blocked it.

"What a pity." Lille Barro continued holding his gun, speaking calmly as he gazed at Ichigo in the mirror. "Despite possessing Quincy blood, you act so recklessly."

"Of course…"

"Even if you activate Blut Vene, you still cannot defend against my attack."

"My Schrift is 'X,' the power of 'X-Axis'—'Piercing All Things.'"

"That's why I choose firearms over the Quincy's traditional bow and arrow. Anything that lies along the line between the muzzle of my gun and my target will be pierced by my attack. Nothing can stand in its way."

Ichigo Kurosaki gritted his teeth. His expression was filled with anger, but his mind remained calm enough to analyze. This power…

He had to close in, destroy the weapon. From what Lille Barro said, this ability required a medium.

Therefore, he must first destroy the weapon.

This time it was his shoulder. Next time, if it targeted his heart and he couldn't evade, things would be much worse.

Shunpo, followed by a strike.

"Getsuga—"

Before he could unleash his signature move…

Something gripped his body, forcibly pulling him, causing his spiritual energy to momentarily stagnate. The sword fell, his strike failing to launch. Ichigo's heart pounded as he looked down at his waist.

An enemy?

Yet, his spiritual senses detected no foe approaching from behind.

Could it be someone with the ability to hide…?

Reality dismissed this suspicion. Coiled around his waist was a raised section of the floor. A giant hand made of floorboards had grasped his body. Black patterns, resembling nerves, were visible on the surface of the hand.

No, not resembling nerves—those were nerves.

Ichigo looked off into the distance. There, a Quincy cloaked from head to toe crouched low, one hand pressed against the ground. It was his doing that gave "life" to the floor.

Another… Power granted by a Schrift?

Lille Barro raised his gun, aiming at Ichigo's head. He spoke softly, "Farewell, the Son of Darkness in service to His Majesty. You've made your greatest contribution to His Majesty."

"Your only mistake was…" His tone was somber, almost mournful.

His finger tightened on the trigger. The bullet was about to fire—

Ichigo's eyes widened as he slashed at the hand entangling his body.

Uryū Ishida grasped his wrist, his expression extremely serious, staring intently in that direction.

A red glow surged, a flash of light passing.

Lille Barro's trigger was pulled, but the bullet failed to fire, the concentration of his spiritual energy forcibly disrupted.

He glanced down. His firearm had been severed at the waist. And only then, after all that transpired, a languid, slightly mocking male voice drifted into his ear.

"Cry out, Benihime."

Lille Barro turned to look in the direction of the voice. "The Shinigami…"

"Have they arrived after Naruto?"

Shunsui Kyōraku bowed slightly, pressing his hand to his hat. "So Naruto is already fighting Yhwach?"

"Picking on a child, and in such numbers—it's hard to watch."

Ichigo was delighted, "Uncle Kyoraku! Urahara-san, and Soi Fon…"

Kurotsuchi Mayuri scoffed, shaking his head. "No greeting for me? After all, I am the most important part of this operation."

"Oh? That's the Soul King?" Mayuri's gaze shifted with curiosity. He instinctively took a step toward that direction, only for Kyoraku to grab him by the collar.

Lille Barro, observing, spoke softly, "It appears they didn't give you much trouble."

"But we're different from those others."

"We are the Sternritter…" He gestured, giving an order, "Originally, we were to wait until His Majesty finished with Naruto and then return to Soul Society to deal with you. Now, however, it seems we'll have to eliminate you first."

Uryū Ishida adjusted his glasses. "It seems Ichigo Kurosaki is my responsibility. The rest of you, deal with the Shinigami."

Lille Barro shot him a glare, with a hint of agitation and unease—a barely concealed intent. But…

"Fine." He agreed readily.

Whatever thoughts were running through Lille Barro's mind—whether mere sentiment or something more complex—he posed no real threat. The Shinigami were destined to die, as was Ichigo Kurosaki. His Majesty had granted him power and status, and could just as easily take them away.

The battlefield quickly divided. Kyoraku led Lille Barro, seemingly one of the Quincy commanders, away from the Soul King's palace. Kisuke Urahara resumed his unfinished battle with Askin in the World of the Living, considering that he might need to use his Bankai. However, his Bankai was ill-suited to crowded places. The others, trusting their instincts, each chose an opponent.

In an instant, only two young men remained at the grand hall's entrance.

"Uryu!" Ichigo's relief was evident. "Great, they're all gone."

"No one is left to monitor…"

He slumped to the ground, feeling the pain from his shoulder and abdomen wounds. But before he could finish—

An arrow shot forth, embedding itself between his legs.

"How naive." Uryū Ishida adjusted his glasses. "What made you think that, with no one else around, I wouldn't attack you?"

Ichigo froze.

"Your sword seems to have changed." Uryu continued. "Now, grip it once again. Show me if your skills have improved with your new blade."

His tone was cold and merciless, his expression equally unyielding.

Ichigo propped himself up, gritting his teeth. "Traitor!"

Even now, Ichigo held on to his initial belief—that Uryū Ishida hadn't truly aligned himself with the "Wandenreich" but was acting out of necessity. As for now…

With no other Quincy present, and with Yhwach engaged in battle with Uncle Naruto, Uryu still "stubbornly" stood with the Wandenreich. The reason was clear; he didn't believe Naruto could defeat Yhwach, so he continued his pretense, waiting for an opportunity to execute whatever plan he had in mind.

"Uncle Naruto won't lose to Yhwach." Ichigo gripped his sword, enduring the pain in his shoulder and abdomen as he used Shunpo to close in and strike. "Besides, you're going too far, saying nothing at all."

Uryū Ishida drew his bow, just as he had when he first challenged Ichigo to a duel upon gaining his Shinigami powers.

The battle erupted.

And yet… everywhere, battle raged.

The powers of Shunsui Kyōraku, Kisuke Urahara's massive mechanical puppet, and the imposing presence of Mayuri Kurotsuchi were all pale in comparison to the intense fight taking place high above the Soul King's palace.

The clash between Naruto and Yhwach tore through the sky, releasing dark, chaotic waves of energy. The blond youth bore some injuries, though they were healing rapidly. In contrast, his opponent—a man in a black robe with long hair—was missing an arm and a leg.

"This power… is still not enough," Yhwach said, placing a hand on his chest. "You have indeed done significant damage to me."

"But…"

"Grant me a body that is whole and unscathed."

The marks left on his body by Naruto's attacks vanished instantly, with his spiritual pressure and physical form fully restored.

"Still not giving up, Naruto Uzumaki?" Yhwach sneered. "Even if you can harm me now, how much longer can you keep it up?"

Naruto tightened his grip on his Zanpakuto. "I'm only probing the limits of your abilities."

"If you were truly immortal…"

"You wouldn't need to shield your vital points in battle."

"So, it's not that my methods are ineffective—only that I need to increase the intensity."

Yhwach narrowed his eyes. "I suppose you could see it that way."

"But at this point, you are the strongest Shinigami alive aside from myself. If you want more power…"

"Are you planning to Bankai?"

Naruto responded in a low voice, "I prefer the term used by the Monk. True Strike."

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

The energy from his mask drained and merged into the form of Kurama in his inner world. Golden light enveloped his body.

"I must admit, your abilities are impressive," Yhwach said, his tone serious. Naruto's future was hidden from his foresight; he could only infer things indirectly. "Is it akin to a Quincy's Vollständig?"

The "completed form" he referred to was not the Vollständig employed by the Wandenreich Quincies of today, but rather the ancient technique from a thousand years ago—one in which Quincies sacrificed their own potential to unleash a momentary surge of spiritual power.

Naruto shook his head with a faint smile. Instead of answering, he raised his hand, drawing on a more powerful spiritual pressure and the near-infinite reishi surrounding the Soul King's palace to conjure a fierce wind that blew toward Yhwach.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, Naruto's actions, though not directly aimed at the others, had a pronounced impact.

For the Shinigami, it was minimal. Besides Naruto himself, only Hitsugaya Toshiro relied on external reishi to a certain degree. As spiritual beings, Shinigami operate on an internal cycle of spiritual energy, drawing from their own reserves in combat.

But for the Quincy…

The effect was far more significant.

Quincy rely fundamentally on absorbing reishi from their surroundings. Naruto's technique drained nearly all the reishi surrounding the Soul King's palace, almost to depletion.

Standing opposite Kisuke Urahara, Askin struck a flamboyant pose, pointing forward with his index finger. "As you can see…"

Behind him, molecular-like wings coalesced, a pair of goggles appeared on his face, and a star-shaped, cross-like halo made of molecules glimmered above his head.

"This is my Vollständig—'The Gift Ball Deluxe.'"

Urahara's expression turned grim.

Askin snapped his fingers. "You'll need to be careful… This time, I won't be holding back as I did in the World of the Living."

"Let me introduce you to its power."

Yet, before he could finish, his wings, mask, and the decorations formed by condensed reishi began to flicker on and off.

Askin was taken aback. He could sense his control over the reishi suddenly weakening.

Was His Majesty retracting his power?

That was his first thought.

However, he quickly revised his understanding.

No, it wasn't his power that had weakened—it was that the reishi in the surrounding air, usually under his control, had thinned.

With such a minimal reishi base, no matter how refined his abilities were, they couldn't reach their full potential…

But why?

The Soul King's palace was known to have one of the highest concentrations of reishi across all realms. When he and His Majesty arrived, the difference in reishi concentration compared to the Seireitei was like heaven and earth.

All of a sudden…

Was it Naruto's blade? Kisuke Urahara looked up; this shift was impossible for him not to notice.

As a Shinigami, he wasn't greatly affected by it, but his inner astonishment was no less than Askin's. For most Shinigami, a Zanpakuto's Bankai only alters the wielder. Whether it's Komamura's *Kokujo Tengen Myo'o,* his own *Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame,* or Mayuri's *Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo*…

Only a few can affect a certain radius, creating a fixed field. Tosen Kaname's *Suzumushi Tsuishiki: Enma Korogi,* Shunsui Kyōraku's *Katen Kyokotsu: Karamatsu Shinju,* then there are Ryujin Jakka and Hyorinmaru.

Now, there is a third.

And it surpasses even those.

Ryujin Jakka draws moisture from the air, while Hyorinmaru freezes ambient elements… Naruto's blade, however, absorbs reishi.

But why?

Urahara was baffled.

Naruto's "Vortex" Zanpakuto is primarily wind-based—why would it absorb reishi?

What confounded him even more was that Naruto, although his spiritual energy fluctuated with odd changes, was still only in his Shikai state.

"This power… Does it belong to the one battling His Majesty?" Askin muttered Naruto's name again with a mocking smile, "If he wasn't so formidable, His Majesty would have dealt with him long ago."

"But…"

"Your name is Kisuke Urahara, isn't it?"

"Why are you more surprised than I am?"

Urahara adjusted his hat, shaking his head slightly. "If your intelligence is as thorough as you say, then you should know…"

"It's been a long time since I last saw Naruto, and I haven't had a clear understanding of his true strength for just as long."

"To drain reishi… Astonishing, truly. It's actually a blessing in disguise since your Vollständig looked like quite the nuisance. Facing it would be a hassle for us."

"Although Naruto didn't intend it, he inadvertently helped me out tremendously."

"Now I owe him another favor."

He waved his blade with a soft smile.

"So, let's get serious. I'll finish you off quickly and see if I can be of any help to Naruto."

Askin wasn't the only Quincy who lost their Vollständig ability.

Throughout the battlefield, not a single exception—Vollständig failed.

Lille Barro, who had just activated his transformation resembling an "angelic" state, saw his form dissipate. Even his freshly fired Heilig Pfeil disintegrated in the wind, ground down into reishi and blown away.

"A pleasant surprise." Shunsui Kyōraku breathed a sigh of relief.

Lille Barro looked up, trying to trace the reishi's direction. "Is it His Majesty…?"

"No, it's Naruto Uzumaki," Kyoraku chuckled. "I always knew the Vortex blade was formidable, as it has a formidable wielder. But now's not the time to discuss it."

"You have no time to worry about anyone else."

He paused, a faint smirk on his face.

"Do you know why I brought you to such a remote place?" He posed the question after a brief silence.

Lille Barro did not respond, narrowing his eyes at Kyoraku.

"Because my Bankai is dangerous," Kyoraku continued as if to himself, "among Zanpakuto, my Bankai is among the most perilous. To avoid endangering others, I chose to bring you here."

"Bankai—*Katen Kyokotsu: Karamatsu Shinju.*"

He brandished his twin swords. Spiritual pressure surged in an instant, a small domain engulfing the area.

High above, the wind roared toward Yhwach. What had been an even fight now tipped dramatically in Naruto's favor as he unleashed Kurama's Bankai.

Naruto's strikes were unpredictable. Even though Yhwach could foresee all futures involving himself, Naruto knew this, so each of his attacks struck with increasing ferocity once they connected.

Each blow could be a feint or a lethal hit.

This put Yhwach in a bind.

He was forced to carefully time every "granting" he used, healing each wound instantly. Naruto's aim, however, was to deplete his spiritual energy.

After all…

He planned to make this man a part of his throne.

The primary focus of Naruto's attacks was Yhwach's internal organs, followed by his mind. The blade led the assault, sealing techniques provided support.

Once one gains total control over the battlefield, their opponent becomes increasingly beleaguered.

At this moment, Yhwach found himself in just such a predicament.

He glimpsed a future…

Ten minutes, fifteen minutes, twenty minutes later…

If he didn't change the course of events, this struggle would persist indefinitely.

"Naruto Uzumaki." Yhwach extended his hand, blue flames swirling around it. "I had thought… I wouldn't need such power to face you."

"My intention was to hold back my greatest gifts unless absolutely necessary. But now, without reclaiming them, I cannot match you."

As he spoke, blue flames bloomed like flowers.

"Qualkreis."

The petals resembled arrows, aimed directly at Naruto—sharp and unbreakable.

Within the shattered Soul King's palace, the debris and blue spiritual energy melded, forming a ring that encircled Naruto.

These stones were granted the quality of being "nearly indestructible."

It created a makeshift prison, restraining Naruto.

Naruto's blade tried to grind down the rocks. Under Yhwach's power, however, these stones were not easily destroyed. Three or four attempts were required to break through them.

But…

This momentary opportunity to bind Naruto was not something Yhwach exploited offensively. He understood that he couldn't kill Naruto in such a brief interval.

Instead, he would use this time to secure a power sufficient to end Naruto's life.

Yhwach raised his hands high.

Blue flames ignited, forming a ceremonial altar.

"Return to me!" he whispered softly.

A gust of "wind" arose—not the tangible wind summoned by Naruto's blade, but a current of spiritual energy at the soul level.

In front of the Soul King's palace, Ichigo Kurosaki suddenly felt an intense pain, collapsing to one knee with a contorted expression. Something was being drawn out of his body.

A blue light emerged from his head, carrying part of his spiritual energy and a fragment of his life force, ascending into the sky.

Uryū Ishida paused his attack, adjusted his glasses, and looked up. "It has begun, hasn't it?"

"Do you know what that ability is?" Ichigo asked through gritted teeth.

"That is *Auswählen,*" Uryū replied.

Ichigo was stunned, but despite the pain, he looked up at the sky. "So, this is *Auswählen*?"

When forging his new blade, Ichigo had been sent back to the World of the Living by Oetsu Nimaiya and learned the truth from his mother. He discovered the strained, complex relationship between the Kurosaki and Ishida families—appearing harmonious yet filled with unresolved tension. He also finally understood... what truly happened to his mother all those years ago.

It was Ryuken Ishida who had explained it. He called it *Auswählen.*

Nine years ago, when Yhwach awakened, he launched an *Auswählen* upon all mixed-blood Quincies to reclaim his powers. Yhwach might not have intended to kill these mixed-blood Quincies outright, but "losing one's powers" was, in essence, a death sentence. Many mixed-blood Quincies, who were fighting Hollows at the time, were suddenly left defenseless, with no option but to be killed by the Hollows.

Even Masaki Kurosaki would have perished to a Hollow's attack, if not for the intervention of Fullbringers and the Substitute Shinigami.

"Uncle Naruto's strength has pushed His Majesty to this extent," Uryū continued calmly. "His Majesty is the source of all Quincy power; every Quincy bears his bloodline."

"So now, he is reclaiming the power of every Quincy to amass it for his battle against Naruto."

Every Quincy.

Ichigo clenched his fist, realizing that his own pain was due to the Quincy blood within him.

But wait…

He looked down at Uryū. This guy didn't seem to be affected at all.

"You…" Ichigo asked in confusion.

Uryū shook his head without answering. But inwardly, a question that had long troubled him was finally answered: why did Yhwach take him from the World of the Living, and why did he name him heir to the Wandenreich?

He'd thought it was because something about him had been discovered. But now he realized the true reason. It was because of his unique power.

Within the Wandenreich, there were always two theories about His Majesty's *Auswählen.*

One was that the powers of the "Schrift" were directly bestowed by His Majesty, and that the Sternritter only wielded these powers by his gift.

Another theory was that the Sternritter already possessed the potential for their Schrift powers, and that His Majesty's blessing merely activated and enhanced these innate abilities.

Now, it seemed…

Uryū concluded that perhaps only the latter was true, or perhaps both were, but in his own case, it was clearly the latter.

He had inherently possessed the power of the Schrift "A"—*Antithesis.*

This power was more formidable than he had imagined; not only could it transfer injuries, but it could also oppose Yhwach's *Auswählen.*

At least, he had just felt the force of *Auswählen* exerted upon him, and he was able to reject it effortlessly.

On the battlefield, Kisuke Urahara controlled his mechanical puppet with a relentless gaze. Moments ago, his opponent had been dominating him completely; now, that same man lay on the ground, clutching his throat. No matter how he struggled, his power seemed to be pulled away from him.

The remaining members of the Sternritter… and even the Quincies in the Seireitei… all felt the drain of power.

At the very moment his opponent expired, Mayuri Kurotsuchi threw down a scroll. White smoke exploded as the scroll unfurled.

A lifeless body lay upon it, vacant and expressionless, with spiritual energy faintly surging.

It was none other than *Tokinada Tsunayashiro.*

The Quincy power within this figure—now converted into a "throne"—had already vanished, as it was drawn out at the moment Yhwach unleashed *Auswählen,* absorbed by the twin kings of the Quincies.

"Seems Naruto was rather prophetic," Mayuri scoffed.

If Yhwach himself had not been used as the "Quincy component" and another Quincy had been chosen instead, then at the very moment the throne replaced the Soul King, it would have been destroyed by him.

Above the Soul King's palace, Naruto had nearly freed himself from all restraints, with only the outermost layer of blue reishi flames remaining.

Yhwach, having absorbed all Quincy powers, extended his arms wide. Spiritual energy pierced through the void—tearing open a narrow passageway, forcibly breaking the restrictions around the Soul King's palace.

It was a portal—a portal for spatial relocation.

"Naruto Uzumaki, you have lost." Yhwach, without launching an attack, turned and stepped into the portal without hesitation.

~~~

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