Shinigami in the Ninja World (Re-upload)

Red hair streaked through the sky, moving erratically—sometimes rising, sometimes falling.

Karin still wasn't fully accustomed to walking in midair.

Her awkward movements drew the attention of several Hokage.

"Karin didn't faint either?" Minato Namikaze muttered softly. After a glance at her, he quickly shifted his gaze to the girl.

In his memory...

She was a relative of Kushina, a girl who had come to live with them after her clan's tragedy. She was the same age as Naruto. Unlike Naruto, she wasn't particularly gifted in training, but within the Uzumaki clan, she was still considered exceptional.

However...

She had only ever wanted to be an ordinary girl, with no interest in becoming a ninja.

"The girl from the Uzumaki clan," Tobirama Senju muttered, frowning thoughtfully as he considered what the conscious ones had in common.

Age?

His brother was quite old, but Minato was still young, only in his early thirties.

Abilities?

Even some Chunin remained conscious.

Gender, appearance, bloodline...

None of these variables seemed to provide a clear answer.

"Uncle Minato," Karin called out naturally. "Where's Naruto?"

"He's..." Minato raised his hand but paused halfway, realizing the particular name she had used.

Tobirama's eyes narrowed as he asked sternly, "Naruto? You know him? You're looking for that guy?"

Karin nodded and looked around, her gaze briefly passing over Menma Uzumaki, the impostor, without hesitation. "Naruto has already left, hasn't he?"

This guy might have Naruto's face.

He might even possess nearly identical chakra.

Even...

His mannerisms were almost the same.

But a fake was still a fake. No matter how close the imitation, Karin could feel the difference just by standing there. She didn't even need to look.

Tobirama was about to press further, but Hashirama held up a hand to stop him. Minato took over, speaking gently, "It seems like you know part of the truth, Karin?"

His expression was warm, and he smiled slightly, like a ray of sunlight breaking through the clouds.

Kizashi Haruno scratched his head awkwardly, feeling out of place.

Just a moment ago...

During the fight, all he had done was cast a single water jutsu. Beyond that, he had done less than Minato.

And even now, Minato was the one guiding the conversation, though Kizashi was the Fourth Hokage.

It almost felt like...

Minato fit the role of Fourth Hokage better than he did.

The unconscious ones were people still alive in the real world.

Those who remained awake were already dead.

"Did I really die decades ago?" Hashirama asked in surprise, pointing to himself in disbelief.

Tobirama looked equally shocked.

As the "God of Shinobi," Hashirama's vitality had been legendary. People in the village often said that living to a hundred years was a blessing, but for him, it had been a curse. It was hard to believe his lifespan had been cut short.

"Infinite Tsukuyomi?" Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up, staring at the moon.

Kizashi spoke up, "Even if that's the case, it's still hard to believe."

"We're just products of a genjutsu? But we have memories of an entire life."

Karin furrowed her brow.

Her eyes scanned the people around her.

If she hadn't seen it firsthand, she wouldn't have believed it either. Even the legendary Sage of Six Paths didn't have the power to reshape the world on this scale. And that was the strongest person these people had ever heard of.

"I believe her," Minato suddenly said, his voice firm.

Karin blinked in surprise.

The other Hokage turned to him as well.

"Why do you say that, Minato?" Hiruzen asked, folding his arms. He had always admired the blond man and believed that, aside from the First and Second Hokage, Minato embodied the 'Will of Fire' most perfectly—more so than even himself.

Though...

It was odd how, during the selection for the Fourth Hokage, the village, the Jonin, and even Hiruzen himself had unanimously supported Kizashi Haruno for the position.

Even with great candidates like Tsunade, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Kakashi, or even Shikaku Nara available, why had they chosen Kizashi?

Why?

"It might sound like a one-sided story," Tobirama said, shaking his head cautiously while keeping an eye on Karin.

Minato scratched his head and smiled sheepishly. "Even if this is another world, he's still my son. He's a good kid."

"When he fought us earlier, he held back the entire time."

"If what Karin says is true, and we're just illusions formed by lingering regrets, even in the face of such illusions... he didn't strike to kill."

Hashirama frowned. "But what about Madara...?"

Tobirama nodded strongly, agreeing with Karin. "Madara isn't someone to be trusted."

He paused.

"Although, in the past, we got along quite well."

In his memory, after he and his brother had pacified the Warring States period, the world had become peaceful. The Uchiha clan had flourished, while the Senju clan had faded into obscurity, but the two clans had maintained a decent relationship.

Even his relationship with Madara Uchiha had been somewhat amicable.

What?

How could that be?

How could he and Madara have had a decent relationship?

It was bizarre.

"So, what should we do?" Hashirama sighed, casting a helpless glance at his brother. Tobirama had been relatively calm for years, but suddenly, his blunt, impolite nature had resurfaced.

None of the other Hokage interrupted.

There was no harm in hearing what Karin had to say.

Karin lifted her head, reflecting on the things the Hokage had mentioned earlier. "Madara exploded?"

Tobirama nodded enthusiastically.

"That's likely the entity that was sealed being released," Karin said worriedly. "The woman who gave birth to the Sage of Six Paths, born with the God Tree, in this world."

"Now..."

Karin turned back.

The reverse rain was growing heavier, pouring straight up into the sky with increasing intensity.

"She's probably gathering chakra, building her strength to go after Naruto-kun," she continued. "We can't just sit back and do nothing."

"Once she's finished gathering chakra from these people, the next target will be you, the Hokage..."

Hiruzen's expression softened. "Are you suggesting we stop the rain?"

Karin nodded.

Tobirama, pondering her words, was starting to believe her more.

Stopping the rain...

It didn't seem like a bad idea.

"But that's not going to be an easy task," he said, shaking his head. "We still don't even understand the mechanism behind this phenomenon."

Karin took a deep breath and unsheathed her sword.

The purple blade gleamed with a strange, almost sinister light.

"This sword can do it," she said decisively. "But with my power alone, I can only affect a small area."

The others stared at the sword, unsure of what she meant.

Karin channeled her spiritual energy, activating the sword's power.

The upward flow of chakra-infused energy was momentarily dispersed, and for a brief moment, the rain returned to normal, falling like regular water.

"Reverse Flow!"

With a soft command, time seemed to stop briefly before rolling backward, causing the upward flow of rain to reverse and return to the bodies it had left.

However...

The effect was short-lived. The rain soon resumed its upward course.

"What is this?" Tobirama asked in amazement.

Time?

He had spent years researching various techniques.

Although the Flying Thunder God had "space-time" in its name, it dealt more with spatial manipulation than time itself.

In terms of technique research, he considered himself second to none.

He had ventured into the realms of life and death, even the intricacies of Kekkei Genkai.

But time...

That had always been the unsolvable puzzle.

"The power of the Dragon Vein," Karin whispered. "Naruto forged it into this sword."

"My abilities can only manage this much."

"Even if I can't stop it completely, if I can expand the range of the effect, I think... it will disrupt the enemy outside this world who's extracting the chakra."

She gripped her sword tightly, resolute, unafraid of the Hokage's scrutinizing gazes.

Now that she had mastered the power of the Shinigami, she could calculate the coordinates to open a portal back to the real world.

But what would that accomplish?

Even if she escaped, she wouldn't be able to participate in the high-level battle happening outside.

Otherwise...

Naruto would have already called for her.

Since she couldn't make a difference on the frontlines, she would focus on what she could control—disrupting the enemy's plans as much as possible.

"You need a bigger range, right?" Minato pulled out one of his special kunai. "Should I head to the other villages to help?"

Hashirama nodded.

And in a flash of golden light, Minato was gone.

"How do you use that sword?" Tobirama asked curiously.

Karin shook her head. "It requires 'Shinigami powers' to wield. Chakra doesn't work well with it."

"But…"

"Naruto has managed to use his chakra to wield a Zanpakutō before. There should be a way."

Tobirama remained calm.

Shinigami powers?

Strange things...

But it doesn't matter. If it existed, there was nothing he couldn't find a way to overcome.

The Hokage sat down, discussing their next steps.

Hiruzen glanced at his hands, frowning slightly. Was it just his imagination, or did his body seem to be fading away, turning translucent?

In the real world.

Within Kagura's Dimension, the desert dimension...

Naruto stood up, unsheathing Kurama and thrusting it into the air as if it were a key.

Breaking this space wasn't easy.

Though he had experience from the Boundary Between Life and Death, that realm didn't have an active owner like this one did.

He couldn't simply tear it apart like before and force open a rift.

He dissected the entire spatial model.

Surprisingly, this dimension was far less vast than it appeared. Though it seemed boundless, it didn't even extend beyond the range of Naruto's Sage Mode perception.

It was like a flower.

At the center was a spherical "core," connecting and stabilizing several other dimensions.

Five other dimensions surrounded it like petals.

He had already visited three: the icy world, the gravity zone, and the desert.

The other two remained unknown, but their sensations were "blazing heat" and "decay."

Naruto twisted his sword.

The space tore open—not with the clean elegance of Yomotsu Hirasaka, but violently, with raw force.

He stepped through the rift.

In the super-gravity dimension, Kurama was struggling, growing weaker. Its injuries worsened, and one of its tails had been ripped off.

The fox grimaced in pain, glaring hatefully at the floating woman before it.

Just as Naruto had said, she lacked combat experience.

But...

When the gap in power was this vast, experience didn't matter.

Kurama had used everything it knew—its swordsmanship, kido, every technique it could remember. Kaguya had fallen for some of its tricks, taking damage from many of its spells.

But none of it mattered!

No matter how severe her injuries were, she healed in no time, at most burning some energy in the process.

Whenever things even slightly turned against her, she would teleport away, recover, and then return to fight again.

Cowardly!

Dishonorable!

Why couldn't she fight like a warrior, head-on?

Kurama panted heavily.

And this was while in Bankai form.

If this had been any other fight...

Kurama would have already been defeated.

"Even if you get a bit of Ten-Tails power, you're still weak," Kaguya murmured softly, flicking her sleeve.

But…

The black, shadow-like substance was no longer there.

Her face twisted in anger. "I originally only intended to steal your chakra."

"But it seems I'll have to kill you now."

She raised her hands, and from her palms, bony spikes shot out, which she grasped like swords.

Kurama's eyes widened.

If it had kept up with its Bankai training, maybe it could have learned the power to go toe-to-toe with Kaguya.

Even if it couldn't win…

At least it wouldn't have to lose so miserably.

In its inner world, Kurama's voice was calm. "Naruto, are you ready?"

There was no response.

Had even their communication been severed?

Kurama sighed and opened its eyes again as Kaguya flew toward it, All-Killing Ash Bones in hand, radiating killing intent.

Was it really going to die here?

It didn't matter...

Did it?

Kurama would be reborn, as all Tailed Beasts were, just as it had been after its past deaths.

It would be freed from Naruto's body, no longer bound as a Jinchūriki.

That was a good thing. It had longed for this for years, waiting for this moment.

But...

Why did it feel a sense of reluctance?

Would the Zanpakutō, the sword that bore its name, still exist after its rebirth?

Wait for death?

No!

Kurama grinned viciously and raised its sword. "Don't underestimate me!"

"Shine!"

Kaguya didn't even flinch. That strange ability had caused her trouble at first.

But now...

She knew there was no need to care. If she used enough force, she could break through it.

She swung her hands down.

All-Killing Ash Bones descended with deadly force.

Kurama opened its eyes wide, and a flash of gold light appeared.