Walking the streets of the Seireitei, Naruto was struck by the difference. The houses were scattered but new and exquisite, and the streets were clean, with detailed address plates and signs. It was a stark contrast to the backward Rukongai. The world inside the wall and the world outside were too far apart.
Boom. Suddenly, an explosion echoed from the sky, and several black dots could be seen scattering across different parts of the Seireitei's residential district. It had to be the group he had seen earlier, trying to get in. Although he didn't know their purpose, they would at least draw the attention of most of the Shinigami.
The entire Seireitei was thrown into chaos by the Ryoka's intrusion. Fights were breaking out everywhere, and members of the various divisions were constantly searching. Naruto, concealing his presence, naturally went undiscovered.
In the midst of the chaos, Kurosaki Ichigo soon met his own opponent: Ikkaku Madarame. After a fierce struggle, Ichigo managed a difficult victory and then regrouped with his companions. After learning that Rukia Kuchiki was being held in the Tower of Repentance, they headed for their target.
In front of the tower, they encountered a powerful foe.
"Ryoka!" Renji Abarai blocked Kurosaki Ichigo's path, his expression hostile. "Your luck has run out."
Renji Abarai and Rukia Kuchiki were childhood friends. More than anyone, he wanted Rukia to live, but he also understood the gravity of her crime. Even if the Ryoka and he joined forces, it would be impossible to stop her execution. He had thought about trying to save Rukia himself, but the Seireitei was too powerful. He was just a small fry here. Without even the strength of a captain, how could he possibly rescue her?
So, in his eyes, Kurosaki Ichigo and his friends were hopelessly naive.
The two immediately began to fight. Having just become a Shinigami, Ichigo was on the back foot against Renji.
At the same time, Naruto followed the sounds of battle and arrived nearby. He wasn't familiar with the Seireitei, and rather than wander around such a large area, he figured it was better to follow the Ryoka. In his view, these intruders had their own objective, and they might lead him to the core of the Seireitei.
Soon, he saw Kurosaki Ichigo and Renji Abarai fighting. Since he wasn't a pure Shinigami, he could sense the difference between them. To be precise, the Ryoka team led by Ichigo all had the aura of living humans. They must have used some kind of tool to travel to the Soul Society.
Naruto was quite curious about Kurosaki Ichigo. He found a high perch, sat down, and quietly watched the battle unfold.
At first, Ichigo was completely overwhelmed by Renji. But his will was incredibly strong and tenacious. Even covered in wounds, he did not retreat.
"I won't give up! I can't lose! I have to save Rukia!" Ichigo roared, launching a frenzied assault on Renji.
His words enraged Renji, whose expression hardened as he released his Shikai.
"Roar, Zabimaru!"
The blade in Renji's hand extended, taking the shape of a venomous snake as it shot towards Ichigo. Ichigo instinctively brought his sword up to block.
Clang! With a loud crash, Ichigo was thrown back, the immense force of the blow causing his feet to drag deep gouges in the ground.
"Do you have any idea how heavy a sentence she received because you took her powers?" Zabimaru twisted and struck from above, again and again, forcing Ichigo to dodge desperately. The wind from the blade stung his face. Ichigo knew that if he took a direct hit, he would likely lose the ability to fight. But Renji's words made him feel even more guilty and sad.
"That's why I have to save her, no matter what!" His fighting spirit soared, and he charged at Renji.
"Decent speed. This human is not bad," Naruto nodded to himself. "Compared to the millennia-long lifespan of a Shinigami, a human's life is far too short. To train for less than a hundred years and be able to contend with Shinigami who are hundreds or thousands of years old... the potential of humans is truly a mystery."
Memories flooded back. When he was being taught by Aizen, he had seen the surprise in his teacher's eyes. From the age of six until now, less than ten years had passed for Naruto, yet his strength had already far surpassed that of an ordinary captain. In a way, had human potential already exceeded that of souls?
Naruto continued to watch.
Facing Ichigo's counterattack, Renji roared and attacked with Zabimaru again. The snake-like blade struck from above. Ichigo dodged the first strike, only to see Zabimaru curve around behind him and stab at his back. Ichigo leaped into the air to avoid it, bringing his own sword down on Renji.
But Renji just smirked. The next moment, Zabimaru, still in the air, suddenly twisted around and, with even greater speed, slashed down on Ichigo's left shoulder.
Rip. A deep gash ran from Ichigo's shoulder to his abdomen.
"Lull the opponent with ordinary speed, then find the right moment to strike with full force. Not bad combat sense. But Zabimaru's speed is still too slow," Naruto commented. "This Shinigami's strength is a bit lacking. He seems to be a seated officer, second or third seat? But even so, he's not someone that human can beat."
Naruto compared Renji's strength to that of Minato and the others and found the gap to be enormous.
What surprised Naruto was that even after being struck down, Ichigo was still able to fight. An unusual power even seemed to erupt from within him. Naruto was momentarily lost in thought, recalling something Aizen had once said:
"Compared to Shinigami, humans are undoubtedly much more fragile. However, in moments of crisis, they can unleash a power that cannot be ignored. You are not the first human to master Shinigamification, but you are the first to master both Shinigamification and Hollowfication. Therefore, the human body definitely holds a potential that even Shinigami have yet to discover."
And this Kurosaki Ichigo was undoubtedly the kind of person Aizen was talking about. Although his raw power was far inferior, he could always withstand his opponent's attacks and even grow stronger as the fight went on. His fighting skills were also becoming more and more proficient. It was all quite astonishing to watch.
But even though Ichigo was still fighting on willpower, the sword in his hand was growing heavier, and his vision was starting to blur. Renji was also covered in wounds, but at least he could still hold his sword. Ichigo knew that if this continued, he would definitely lose. He had to find a way to break the stalemate.
In the end, he won by trading blow for blow. Both collapsed to the ground, unconscious. But Ichigo was at the end of his rope. He felt his consciousness fading. In a daze, he heard a gentle, magnetic voice:
"Focus all your Reiatsu into your blade."
The next moment, the Reiatsu in his body began to gather at the edge of his sword of its own accord. A powerful surge of spiritual pressure erupted from within him.
Boom. A Getsuga Tensho shot out from his blade, engulfing Renji. With a deafening explosion, the ground cracked, and the entire area shook violently.
When the smoke cleared, Renji lay in a deep crater, unable to fight.
"Did I do that? This is..." Ichigo looked at his hand in disbelief. He struggled to lift his head and instinctively looked up, where he saw a blurry figure.
Was that person helping me? Who is he? A thought flashed through his mind before he fainted.
"My, my, how fragile. It seems you still have a long way to go. I hope you can bring me some entertainment," Naruto said with a smile before disappearing.
Soon, Hanataro and Ganju arrived and carried Ichigo to a temporarily safe underground passage. Since Hanataro was a member of the Fourth Division, he was skilled in medical arts and quickly administered first aid. They looked at the heavily wounded Ichigo, their faces filled with worry.
"Ichigo has several wounds from a lieutenant-level fighter. It's amazing he survived. His life force is incredible."
"That guy really went all out this time," Hanataro and Ganju sighed, exchanging glances.
Drip, drop. The sound of water hitting the ground echoed in the damp, muddy air.
Ichigo opened his eyes to a dark space.
"Where am I?" he asked, getting up in confusion. He was surprised to find his body felt light and free of the wounds from his previous battle. He remembered taking several of Renji's attacks, but now he was completely unscathed.
"No, I have to find Chad and the others," he said anxiously, walking forward, trying to find an exit. But no matter how he walked, he couldn't escape the pitch-black darkness. He was like a prisoner in an abyss, with no hope of escape. No matter how he ran, he saw no light.
"Don't waste your energy," a gentle, somewhat familiar voice suddenly sounded in the air.
"Who's there?!" Ichigo's body tensed, his eyes filled with suspicion. Then, as if remembering something, he blurted out, "It's you! The mysterious voice from before!"
Ichigo remembered. It was the same voice that had guided him during the fight.
Hum. A light suddenly appeared at the end of the space, and Naruto's form materialized. He wore a white robe, his face handsome, his bright blond hair slicked back, and his eyes sharp.
"We meet for the first time," Naruto said calmly, approaching Ichigo.
"What a terrifying presence!" Ichigo's eyes widened as he watched Naruto draw near, his body beginning to tremble uncontrollably. He gripped his left arm with his right hand, screaming in his mind, Stop it! Stop!
He looked at Naruto in disbelief. The pressure this man exuded was far greater than that of any Shinigami he had ever met.
"Who are you?" Ichigo felt his teeth chattering as he managed to force out the words.
Naruto just gave him a playful look and said softly, "I'm human, just like you."
"Human? How is that possible?!" Ichigo's pupils dilated. He could see that Naruto's attire was unique; though similar to a Shinigami's, it wasn't the standard uniform. But he knew that without special tools, a human couldn't enter the Pure Land.
Sensing Ichigo's doubt, Naruto didn't bother to explain.
"Human, you should know that at your current level of strength, fighting the Soul Society is like an egg hitting a rock."
"So what? There's something I have to do," Ichigo said stubbornly, looking at Naruto, but he could only see calmness in those blue eyes.
"The man you fought before had no intention of killing you, but even so, you nearly died. And they are only at the lieutenant level," Naruto said, staring into Ichigo's eyes, but he saw no fear in them.
"If you're trying to convince me to leave, you're bound to be disappointed. I will absolutely not leave until I've saved Rukia!" Ichigo said firmly.
"Is that so? Is it your bonds that support you?" Naruto's eyes held a hint of reminiscence. The one who had chased after him for so long had once said the same thing. But what was the result? He was still just as weak.
Humans had one advantage, which was also their greatest weakness: emotions.
"Are you not afraid of death, for the sake of these so-called bonds?" Naruto asked with a light laugh.
"As long as I can save Rukia."
Looking at Ichigo's determined gaze, Naruto shook his head, his tone dismissive. "What you're doing is futile. It will only make Rukia blame herself, thinking she's the one who got you killed."
Faced with Naruto's denial, Ichigo felt a fire of anger burn in his chest, but he didn't know how to refute it.
Naruto changed the subject. "If you want to save Rukia, you must become stronger. You must reach the level of a captain in an extremely short amount of time."
"Captain-level strength? How do I do that?" Ichigo's eyes flickered, and he looked at Naruto with a hint of confusion. Before coming to the Soul Society, he had already mastered the power of his Zanpakuto under the guidance of Kisuke Urahara. He had thought that would be enough to save Rukia. He never expected that he would have trouble defeating even a lieutenant-level Shinigami, let alone a captain. He was still too weak, far from strong enough.
He looked at Naruto, his eyes filled with a fervent hope. Since this man was also human and possessed such terrifying power, if he could receive his guidance...
But to Ichigo's disappointment, Naruto's figure vanished, and the space returned to its deep darkness. A few seconds later, a magnetic voice echoed throughout the space.
"Find your way out of this space, and I will tell you how to gain power."
"Find my way out?" Ichigo's eyes lit up, and he immediately started running. He believed that this space must have an end; if he just kept running, he would find the exit.
"This guy's comprehension is not very good," Naruto thought, shaking his head. But he wasn't in a hurry. This space was Ichigo's subconscious. Even if days or weeks passed inside, only a moment would have passed outside. This was one of the functions of Kyoka Suigetsu, enhanced by his own Zanpakuto. It was just like when he had entered the sealed space of the parallel world's Naruto.
Naruto had a feeling that the upper limit of his Zanpakuto might be far higher than he had imagined.
Ichigo was still running, running without stopping. He was drenched in sweat and panting heavily, but he still saw no light. He collapsed to the ground, his chest heaving.
"Damn it, how do I get out of this place?" he thought, his face full of frustration. "Rukia and everyone are waiting for me. I can't waste time here. I have to get out."
"Why is there no end?" he wondered, completely baffled.
Suddenly, he remembered the guidance Naruto had given him during the fight. Calm down, focus your power into the tip of your blade.
The blade.
I need my Zanpakuto!
Ichigo closed his eyes, clearing his mind of all distracting thoughts. A Zanpakuto slowly materialized in his hand.
"Hah!" With a sharp cry, a Getsuga Tensho shot out from the blade, tearing a hole in the dark space and revealing Naruto's calm expression.
"Congratulations, you've found the exit."
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