Shinigami in the Ninja World (Re-upload)

"Why did the Quincy lose all their powers?"

It happened suddenly.

Fortunately, Masaki Kurosaki gave birth, and the power of the Hollow was inherited by Ichigo. Otherwise...

With the loss of her Quincy powers, the Hollow or Shinigami abilities would have violently clashed. A normal human body, fragile and weak, wouldn't have been able to withstand such a conflict.

Ryūken Ishida took out a cigarette and lighter from his pocket. With a flick, the cigarette was lit, and a thin trail of smoke rose up, glowing faintly in the sunset as it burned into a reddish hue.

He took a deep drag and blew out a long ring of smoke. "You're a Shinigami. Why are you so interested in the Quincy?"

His gaze was deep, his expression complex.

"It doesn't affect you, does it?"

Naruto shook his head, smiling slightly. "Not all influences are visible to the naked eye."

"The Quincy…"

"They are a part of this world. Whatever made them disappear could potentially threaten other things in this world too."

"A Shinigami's duty is to maintain the balance of the three worlds."

Ryūken didn't respond immediately. He inhaled deeply, letting the ash burn until it nearly reached the filter, then shook his head. "You're quite dedicated. Already preparing to take on the responsibilities of Captain-Commander?"

Naruto just stared at him steadily.

"I know the reason," Ryūken said nonchalantly, flicking the cigarette away and stomping it out. "But I can't tell you."

Naruto's keen sensory ability confirmed that Ryūken was telling the truth.

"Can't tell me?" Naruto narrowed his eyes.

Considering Ryūken's likely concerns…

He paused and asked, "Is it because you think I'm not strong enough?"

Ryūken lit another cigarette, speaking calmly. "Uryū mentioned that the Soul Society has been going through some major upheavals."

"I wasn't sure whether you all were too busy or just hadn't noticed."

"Now it seems…"

"It's the latter."

Naruto narrowed his eyes further. This was an alarming revelation.

Through his heightened senses, he could tell that everything Ryūken said was true. Despite being far weaker in comparison, with spiritual pressure on the level of a seated officer, Ryūken was convinced that something was happening—something Naruto hadn't detected.

But how could anything slip past him?

Of course, it wasn't impossible. Certain anomalies existed, like Madara Uchiha's strange clones.

Ryūken lazily extended his hand, and as the cigarette burned, the smoke spiraled softly into the air. "Since you haven't noticed, it's not my place to tell you."

He tossed the half-burned cigarette aside and stomped it out.

Ryūken then stood up and opened the door, gesturing for Naruto to leave. "So…"

"Please, go."

Naruto remained seated, his gaze fixed on Ryūken. "Is that really all you can say?"

Ryūken turned his head away in silence.

The room stayed quiet for a long time.

Over an hour later, Ryūken, growing impatient, finally turned back. "Captain Uzumaki, I said you can…"

But he stopped mid-sentence.

The chair was empty—the blond figure had disappeared without a sound.

Back in the Soul Society, Naruto stood atop a high tower, overlooking the bustling streets of the Seireitei.

"You're not going to press him further?" Kurama hopped down from Naruto's shoulder, looking up at him. "If you kept at it, he might've told you something."

Naruto shook his head.

"Then why come back to the Seireitei?" Kurama tilted his head in confusion. "The Quincy wouldn't come here."

The Quincy and Shinigami were sworn enemies. The two of them knew the history well.

Once, the Quincy had thrived in the human world, but their unrestrained behavior had forced the Shinigami to launch a purge, leaving only a few isolated survivors that no longer posed a threat.

"Is that so?" Naruto responded calmly, asking in return.

Kurama blinked, confused, and let out a bark.

Could it be?

No way…

"Ryūken said he wasn't sure if I would notice," Naruto said thoughtfully, furrowing his brow. "Why phrase it like that?"

"As if, if I were capable enough, I would definitely notice."

Kurama tilted his head.

"I don't often visit the human world," Naruto continued. "If the issue is there, it's understandable that I might overlook it."

"Like how I visited Karakura Town so many times without realizing Muramasa was there."

"And then he mentioned the chaos in the Soul Society…"

Naruto was connecting the dots, piecing things together.

Kurama, beginning to understand, said, "So you suspect that the cause of the Quincy losing their powers is hidden somewhere in the Seireitei?"

Naruto nodded.

"I thought Ryūken was just being evasive," Kurama exhaled in relief. "But he did leave a clue."

"If he was going to hint at it, why be so secretive? What a pain."

Naruto gazed into the distance.

He saw members of the 7th Division patrolling, reprimanding a few unruly 11th Division members. The 7th Division was the only unit capable of keeping the 11th Division in check, as their captain was as strong as Kenpachi, and their lieutenant, though a fox, could hold his own against the captain in battle.

Members of the 2nd Division moved swiftly, shadows flickering in and out of sight.

The 4th Division rushed by in a hurry, taking quick, small steps.

The Seireitei was bustling with life.

"He's not worried about us discovering that presence," Naruto said quietly. "He's worried that whatever he holds might be discovered or exposed."

Kurama's head tilted, his eyes filled with curiosity.

Not afraid of us discovering the presence? But afraid of something else?

"There are more ways to learn about that presence than just Ryūken," Naruto mused, smiling. "But whatever he's holding—he's likely the only one who knows about it."

Kurama instinctively asked, "Who else could know?"

"Who else?" Naruto replied, shaking his head, answering the question with another.

At the 1st Division barracks, Kurama stared at Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto and suddenly understood.

Of course...

Who else would know more than an old man who had lived for thousands of years?

"Quincy?" Yamamoto sat still as a stone, his voice as somber as his expression. "Why are you interested in this?"

"The majority of Quincy in the human world have lost their powers," Naruto replied. "And I suspect the cause is hidden in the Soul Society."

Yamamoto's eyes gleamed with sharp light. "Oh?"

"The cause is here?"

"Have you found proof?"

Naruto shook his head.

"Is this like the case with Aizen?" the old man asked, his tone growing more serious.

Naruto considered for a moment. "Not exactly."

"Perhaps you could start by telling me about the battles with the Quincy?"

Yamamoto set aside his cane, his expression turning nostalgic. "The battles with the Quincy, you say?"

"That was the greatest bloodshed I have ever caused since founding the Gotei 13."

There was a hint of regret in his voice.

"The ignorant bear no guilt. The very existence of the Quincy did threaten the balance of the three worlds," the Captain-Commander continued. "But their actions, their understanding of spiritual energy, meant that human souls wouldn't be affected by Hollows."

"They were stubborn, and I was forced to…"

"The Quincy were a gifted group. They could manipulate spiritual energy using human bodies, and they were strong. But the Gotei 13 was stronger at that time."

"We defeated them."

"Though we didn't wipe them out completely."

"Their leader, Yhwach, was nearly as powerful as I was, but he ultimately fell to Ryūjin Jakka."

"However, I didn't kill him. I only stripped him of his powers, his consciousness, and his heartbeat."

Kurama muttered, "How's that different from killing him?"

Yamamoto shot him a glance.

The fox shrank back but pressed on with another question, "Why not just kill him?"

The Captain-Commander glanced at him again, refusing to answer.

Kurama bristled, ready to pounce.

"He was strong, as strong as the Captain-Commander," Naruto repeated Yamamoto's earlier words.

Yamamoto tapped his hand on his knee. "So, you're suspecting Yhwach?"

"I doubt he could drain the power of every Quincy in the world."

"If he could…"

"I imagine he would've used that power during our fight."

Naruto leaned forward, shaking his head. "If it's not him, then some unknown force might be even more terrifying."

Yamamoto opened his eyes.

"How do you plan to investigate?" he asked.

Naruto shook his head. "It's already underway."

…

At the 7th Division Barracks.

Third Seat Momo Hinamori stood sternly before the group, her tone serious.

The other officers and squad members looked nervous. This kind of tension was uncommon in the 7th Division—being the internal security force, they were the last line of defense. Whatever could make them tense would surely unsettle the entire Seireitei.

"This is the captain's order," Momo said, clapping her hands. "We'll be conducting thorough inspections of the Seireitei in the coming days."

"Due to incidents involving Aizen and Muramasa, the captain is not pleased."

"He wants us to check every corner of the Seireitei for any security risks, no matter how small."

Several younger members sighed with relief.

In contrast, the higher-ranking officers looked more concerned. They understood that these instructions weren't as simple as they seemed.

"Each officer will lead a group of three," Momo continued. "If you come across anything uncertain, mark it on the map instead of acting on your own. Each team will receive a map section to inspect."

"If you find any definite risks, don't engage. Mark them on the map and wait for the captain's further instructions."

She paused, her tone becoming even more serious. "The captain asked me to remind you all—be careful. Prioritize your safety."

That final message left a chilling effect on the more experienced officers.

Even though the Seireitei had been attacked twice recently, it was still considered the safest place in all of Soul Society.

For a warning like that to be necessary…

Was the Seireitei itself no longer safe?

One officer tried to reassure himself, "The captain is just being cautious after what's happened."

"Right, we're just doing a more detailed patrol of the Seireitei," another officer chimed in, nodding earnestly. "It's not something to worry about."

Though small in stature, Momo managed the operation efficiently. The groups were formed quickly, ensuring no area would be checked twice.

…

In Rukongai.

Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa stood in the center of a deserted village, glancing around.

"No sign of spirits." Yumichika frowned, his tone heavy. "They've all disappeared."

Ikkaku pointed in a direction. "Look, footprints."

The ground was marked with chaotic, overlapping prints, a mess of tracks.

"I see them." Yumichika shook his head. "It looks like the spirits were herded together, then vanished due to some external force."

Ikkaku clicked his tongue. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

Yumichika glanced at him but said nothing. Both had the same thought running through their minds: Aizen Sōsuke.

The last time spirits disappeared, it had been connected to that man.

Now, Aizen was imprisoned. But who knew if the next enemy would be just as powerful as Aizen?

…

Back at the 12th Division, in the surveillance room.

"Something's wrong! There's a disturbance in Hueco Mundo," one researcher stood up, alarmed. "A large number of Hollows are being wiped out."

"In sectors 6603-8983, 172 Hollows have already been eradicated."

This was just the beginning.

One by one, other researchers began reporting different areas, different numbers. The balance between the Soul Society and the human world was shifting.

The equilibrium was being broken.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi's face darkened, his fists clenched as he gritted his teeth. "Only the Quincy could be responsible for this."

"But how did they dare…"

"And how did they manage it?"

The difference between 'eradication' and 'disappearance' was significant. When a Hollow dies, even if devoured by another Hollow, the spiritual particles remain. They simply transfer from one form to another; the overall mass doesn't decrease.

But what the 12th Division was monitoring now was the 'eradication' of Hollows. The spiritual particles were disappearing entirely, reducing the total mass.

As the weight of Hueco Mundo decreased while the Soul Society remained constant, the scales would tip, throwing the world out of balance.

"I'll inform…" Mayuri raised his hand to disperse the shadow clone he had sent to relay the news to Naruto and Yamamoto.

Before he could finish, another squad member stood up abruptly. "The balance is stabilizing."

"The impact of the Hollow eradication is fading…"

Mayuri froze.

The balance doesn't just restore itself.

He glanced at the screen. On the map of Hueco Mundo, red dots flickered, indicating Hollows were still being wiped out.

Hueco Mundo was still losing weight.

Yet, somehow, the balance was being restored.

That meant…

The Soul Society was losing mass too…

If the Hollows were being eradicated, then the only explanation for the Soul Society's loss of weight was that souls were also being eradicated.

Was it still the Quincy?

No, they wouldn't have the nerve to invade the Soul Society.

So…

Was someone else taking action?

Mayuri glanced up at the ceiling, as if his gaze pierced through the concrete barrier to the distant sky above.

He lowered his hand, his tone more measured. "Have we established communication with the individual in Hueco Mundo?"

"Not yet. There's interference," the green-clad researcher replied, working quickly, trying to resolve the mysterious spiritual signal blocking their communication.

…

Hueco Mundo.

"How interesting," said a man with neatly parted hair, dressed in a military uniform and draped in a white Quincy cape. He stood arrogantly in the sky, staring down at a group of hostile figures on the sand below.

"Shinigami collaborating with Hollows."

Arrancar Baraggan Louisenbairn spat on the ground, gripping his weapon tightly. "You speak worse than I do! I'm just here under orders from the Seireitei to guard this place."

"We're not in league."

His words were harsh, but deep down, he was cautious. The enemy in front of him exerted a pressure not unlike the one he'd felt from Naruto Uzumaki. This was a formidable opponent.

But this man didn't possess Shinigami powers. He was a Quincy.

A Quincy with this kind of power?

"What's the difference?" the man in the sky said coldly. He raised his hand and unsheathed a long sword, its blade outlined by spiritual particles forming a crescent shape. "Whether Shinigami or Hollows, you're all our targets for extermination."

"You've allied yourselves, and that makes you no better."

Ashido raised his sword and began chanting an incantation, preparing to release it. "Who are you, exactly?"

The man in the sky chuckled softly.

He bowed gracefully, making a show of politeness. "I forgot to introduce myself."

"My name is Quilge Opie."

"I'm the captain of the Jagdarmee in the Wandenreich."

"I've been ordered to conduct a selection process for Vasto Lorde and Arrancar."

"Consider this speech your last chance."

"If you want to survive, grovel like slaves at my feet and lick my boots."

"If…"

"You still plan to resist, then I'll have to proceed with the initial screening and wipe out every single one of you disobedient fools."

As he spoke, he adjusted his glasses, a sly, arrogant smile spreading across his face.

"Let the games begin."

"Little ones."