Shinigami in the Ninja World (Re-upload)

Darkness, frost, and cold.

These elements set the tone in this lightless world.

Yhwach stared at the photo he had just taken, his voice calm. "It seems the bait we set in Hueco Mundo wasn't enough to lure him away from the Seireitei."

"Your Majesty, let me go," a man with long golden hair stepped forward urgently. "Quilge Opie's strength is still too weak."

Yhwach declined. "There's no need."

"Naruto Uzumaki is a clever man... I suspect he's already figured some things out."

"After all, I have left my mark on this world, and he has a close connection with Ichigo Kurosaki."

Several of his subordinates lowered their heads and responded respectfully.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Yhwach stood up, and the throne behind him dissolved into the wind. It wasn't something that physically existed in this world—it was a temporary construct made entirely of spiritual particles.

Behind the throne, floating steps appeared out of thin air, glowing with a pale blue hue that contrasted sharply with the surrounding darkness. They were sacred and translucent.

He took a step, placing his foot on the first stair, and the black space around him grew brighter. A second step materialized out of nothing.

"At this point, turning back would mean missing the perfect opportunity."

Step by step, he ascended, as though climbing to the heavens.

"Then let it be war."

"Valkyrie, you are brave in battle. Since you have volunteered, the task is yours."

"Go, test Naruto Uzumaki. See how much he has improved during this time."

The man who had stepped forward earlier was filled with excitement. Placing his hand over his chest, he wore a devout, serious expression and shouted loudly, "For Your Majesty, for honor!"

"Bring back Quilge Opie."

"There's no longer any reason to continue occupying Hueco Mundo."

A member of the Sternritter looked up. "Your Majesty, but perhaps the Arrancar..."

"They are indeed fascinating creatures," Yhwach said, stepping onto the high platform and turning to face his subjects. "But our true enemies are still the Shinigami."

"Especially those..."

"Unstable factors."

"Luders Friegen," Yhwach called out, his gaze turning to one of his men. "You once mentioned during your investigation of the boundary erosion that soon the Soul Society would lose its spiritual balance with the World of the Living and collapse."

"So, what's the situation now?"

The man, Luders Friegen, suddenly called by name, scrambled forward from the group and knelt on one knee, his voice tense. "I can confirm that the balance is indeed being disrupted."

"But..."

He stammered, his words faltering as he repeated himself, unable to articulate his thoughts clearly.

"How incompetent," Yhwach reprimanded, his tone devoid of anger, calm and detached, lacking any emotion. "Not only have you failed to follow the plan, but you also don't even know how the enemy stopped you."

Luders Friegen lowered his head. "Just give me two more days, Your Majesty. I can..."

"Two days? Are you certain?" Yhwach asked softly.

Luders Friegen opened his mouth but found no words.

Yhwach continued, "Are you suggesting that the Wandenreich's thousand years of waiting and accumulation should come to a halt for two days, just for you?"

Luders Friegen became even more anxious, unable to respond.

"Answer me," Yhwach pressed, extending his hand forward. "Are you asking the Wandenreich to stop its advance for you?"

The air grew still, the atmosphere heavy with tension.

There was no sound, no response.

Yhwach asked again, his voice steady, "Answer me. I'm asking if you want the Wandenreich to pause for your sake."

Luders Friegen, drenched in cold sweat, looked up, his face soaked and his hair matted. "No, Your Majesty, I didn't mean..."

"Then why were you so sure you only needed two days?" Yhwach said, lowering his gaze. "Two days..."

"Do you understand what two days mean?"

"For those who can't keep up with the Empire's pace..."

"There is only one outcome..."

Yhwach didn't finish his sentence. He merely clenched his fist lightly.

A flash of blue light.

With a squelching sound, the man kneeling on the ground was compressed like a crushed biscuit, reduced to a bloody mass of indistinguishable flesh.

Among the crowd, aside from the Sternritter members, everyone trembled in fear, gripped with anxiety.

"Äs Nödt," Yhwach called, retracting his hand.

Another man stepped forward from the crowd, bowing respectfully without the slightest hint of hesitation. Even if he had any doubts, he didn't dare express them. Kneeling beside the pile of flesh, he said, "Your Majesty."

"Go to the World of the Living," Yhwach commanded, his voice echoing from on high like that of a king overlooking his kingdom. "Go and meet Ichigo Kurosaki."

Äs Nödt responded immediately. "Yes."

Inwardly, he sighed with relief.

Thankfully...

It was a mission, not punishment.

Yhwach said nothing further. With a wave of his sleeve, he vanished.

The Quincies sprang into action.

For the first time in a long while, this quiet and stifling space stirred with activity.

…

In the 1st Division Barracks.

"So, it really is those Quincy bastards," Naruto said quietly. "From the Captain-Commander's experience, what kind of methods do you think they'll use?"

Yamamoto remained silent, sifting through his old memories.

What kind of methods would the Quincies employ?

He was about to speak when, outside, a brilliant golden lightning bolt lit up the sky, accompanied by a piercing roar.

It caused the words he had been about to say to catch in his throat. "That's... Chōjirō's Bankai."

Naruto turned his head, glancing back.

With a "tsk," the door swung open.

A group of strange figures, clad in white clothing and wearing peculiar masks, entered.

They weren't Shinigami.

Yet, their presence carried a faint familiarity to Naruto.

They were Quincy.

"A pleasure to meet you," said the tall man at the front. His attire seemed ill-fitting for his stature, but glimpses of golden hair could be seen beneath his hat and mask. "You must be Captain-Commander Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto..."

"And Captain of the 7th Division, Naruto Uzumaki."

"I'm here to declare war."

Both Yamamoto and Naruto glared at him, speechless for the moment.

"It's quite surprising. I thought this place—the Captain-Commander's office in the 1st Division, the very heart of the Gotei 13, where the most important figures of the Soul Society gather—would be heavily guarded."

Despite not receiving a response, the golden-haired man continued.

"But it seems we've slipped in quite easily."

"Is your vigilance really so low?"

Yamamoto rose, gripping his staff in his left hand, his eyes sharp. "With me here, there's no need for any additional guard."

His words were firm.

No one would question the Captain-Commander's strength.

But...

This answer only drew a laugh from the golden-haired man.

Before Yamamoto could react—

A flash of blue light pierced the air—

'Heilig Pfeil.'

A Quincy's holy arrow.

Naruto extended his hand, golden chains sliding out, his expression grave.

This...

He recognized this as the Quincy's signature attack.

But this particular "Heilig Pfeil" was completely different from any he had seen before.

Neither Ryūken Ishida nor Masaki Kurosaki's arrows had been so massive.

Like a giant spear, the enormous arrow impaled 1st Division Vice-Captain Chōjirō Sasakibe, pinning him to the wall.

"Chōjirō!" Yamamoto turned, his expression one of disbelief.

This was... Chōjirō Sasakibe.

His most trusted right-hand man. Though a vice-captain, Chōjirō possessed a Bankai, and his strength likely surpassed many captains.

Chōjirō wasn't unable to become a captain—he simply chose not to, preferring to remain Yamamoto's vice-captain.

That earlier lightning had been the release of his Bankai.

How long had it been?

Chōjirō, with his Bankai, had been defeated so easily.

Naruto, quick to act, reached out and pulled, his golden chains wrapping around Chōjirō and the enormous arrow. Though the force was great, the chains cushioned the impact.

The second wave of damage was mitigated.

"He's alive," Naruto said quietly.

Yamamoto breathed a sigh of relief.

Naruto drew his sword.

"Disturb, Vortex."

Wind swept through the room, swirling around Chōjirō. It didn't harm his body but focused on the massive arrow. In moments, the arrowhead shrank significantly. Naruto waved his hand again.

The golden chains wrapped around the arrow's tail.

With a swift motion, the arrow was yanked out.

Chōjirō was caught by the wind, and Naruto's chains wrapped around him, channeling Yang Release energy to heal the grievous wounds that threatened his life.

The arrow continued flying, now being hurled toward the group of Quincy.

With a thunderous crash, a loud hum resonated.

The leader of the Quincy did not dodge or flinch. Instead, he stepped forward, allowing the giant blue arrow to strike him. His hat and mask were shattered, and his clothing was damaged, but his body remained unharmed.

Beneath the mask was long golden hair, draped over a strong, handsome face.

A laurel crown adorned his head, with black, epsilon-shaped markings extending from his temples.

His face, devoid of eyebrows, looked even more ferocious.

"Resistance?" He grinned, filled with contempt. "It's meaningless."

"Hasn't that man's fate already shown you what awaits?"

"Desperate resistance only ends in death."

"Soul Society will fall to the Wandenreich."

Naruto narrowed his eyes.

He vanished with 'Shunpo', his sword slashing down.

The man caught the blade with his right hand and raised a shield with his left to block—

But his movements weren't fast enough. Although he reacted, it didn't fully protect him.

Naruto's strike cut a narrow, deep wound across the man's chest.

Reeling from the pain, the Quincy tried to counter with a strike, aiming to drive Naruto back.

But...

Naruto was quicker. He withdrew his blade, raising his other hand. His sword spun like a whirlpool, winding around his wrist.

In just a few brief exchanges, the Quincy, dressed like an ancient Greek warrior, was already covered in wounds, battered by Naruto's relentless strikes.

His body had suffered immense damage in such a short time.

He seemed utterly drained, as though he had lost the strength to fight.

Yet, his comrades—the other Quincy who had emerged from the shadows—merely watched coldly, showing no intention of assisting him.

"I really thought you were strong," Naruto said, coldly eyeing the man lying on the ground. "But this is all you've got?"

"You made such bold claims."

"What an empty boast."

The man on the ground chuckled, his body twitching as he spoke. "Do you think you've won?"

Naruto remained silent, his hand raised.

Lightning crackled at his fingertip, glowing with brilliant energy.

He recited the incantation.

"Hadō #4. Byakurai (白雷, Pale Lightning)."

The lightning pierced the man's heart.

The man twitched instinctively, but his body, now a burden, prevented any effective reaction.

"You can't even dodge such a weak attack," Naruto shook his head. "Do you still think I haven't won?"

He clapped his hands.

"Adamantine Sealing Chains."

The chains rattled, snapping as they moved with speed and force.

Naruto intended to seal them all. Mayuri Kurotsuchi had long desired Quincy specimens, and these would certainly suffice.

The most critical thing was...

'The Wandenreich', a name that had slipped from this man's mouth.

If it was called an empire, then it must be a vast organization.

And their method of travel was so strange, unlike any recognized form of spatial transfer—even Naruto's senses couldn't fully comprehend it.

If Mayuri studied them, perhaps they could uncover something.

"But what if I could still turn the tables and defeat you?" the man on the ground said, his voice eerily calm. "Wouldn't that be considered a miracle?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"Do you know what a miracle is?" the man asked.

Naruto didn't respond.

The man continued, "A miracle in trivial moments is not something people recognize."

"They simply call it good luck."

"But when something unbelievable happens in a life-or-death crisis…"

"That's when it's called a miracle."

His voice grew louder, more excited.

Naruto swung his sword, unleashing a whirlwind that tore through the man's throat, flowing through his windpipe and into his heart, shredding his organs.

Without mercy.

Yet...

An immense surge of spiritual pressure erupted from the man's body.

In an instant, his form swelled to an incredible size, doubling, tripling, and even growing fivefold...

Until he broke through the 1st Division barracks, standing over a hundred meters tall.

"Naruto Uzumaki, you are truly a worthy opponent," the man said, extending his arms as if to embrace the sun. "My name is Gerard Valkyrie."

"The Miracle!"

"My power is to convert wounds into divine might."

"The more grievous the injury, the larger my body grows."

"For you to make me this massive..."

"You're the first."

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he gripped Vortex.

The more he's wounded, the stronger he becomes—what a truly extraordinary ability.

And...

He had never heard of a Quincy with such powers.