Shinigami in the Ninja World

Kūgo Ginjō instinctively clutched his chest.

Was his heart still beating? A faint throb reassured him.

'Oh... I'm still alive.'

Just seeing that creature from a distance made him feel like he was brushing up against death.

'So this is a Vasto Lorde?'

But to leave now...

"Don't turn away from your own weakness," Isshin Shiba said, stepping in front of him. "It's the only way you'll build the courage to wield your sword."

"Remember this feeling."

"But for now..."

"Go."

"I'll handle things here."

"Let Naruto know about this."

Kūgo Ginjō nodded and used Shunpo to leave.

The Vasto Lorde's dark spiritual pressure surged forward like a tidal wave, crushing everything in its path.

It didn't speak, but its bloodlust was palpable.

Isshin Shiba drew his sword.

His spiritual pressure surged, and his captain's haori fluttered in the wind.

"Burn, Engetsu!"

Flames erupted from the blade, rising like a flowing banner, almost enveloping him entirely.

The Vasto Lorde showed no fear and struck with a hand blade.

The flames seared its black armor, leaving charred marks, but the wounds—small and superficial—began to heal almost immediately, writhing as they closed.

The force of the hand blade was immense, the wind from it cutting deep.

Isshin Shiba dodged, but the condensed spiritual pressure still grazed his forehead, drawing blood.

'The spiritual pressure is that intense!'

'No wonder this is a Vasto Lorde,' a creature he'd only heard about in legends.

He gripped his sword with both hands and pressed down.

The flames compressed, mixing with his spiritual pressure, creating a highly condensed energy.

Silver light burst forth.

"Getsuga Tenshō!"

The energy erupted from the blade, an extraordinary slash that tore through the Vasto Lorde's black armor, leaving its chest exposed.

Its spiritual pressure scattered, disrupted by the attack.

Isshin Shiba's eyes widened.

The wound was grotesque, exposing bone and internal organs.

But... 'is that it?'

"Getsuga Tenshō" was a technique that compressed and released energy. Its power was among the highest of any captain's moves—within the Gotei 13, only Naruto's "Tailed Beast Bomb" could rival it.

He had hoped this move would cut the Vasto Lorde in two.

But the result was just this seemingly "harmless" wound.

And it had a "high-speed regeneration" ability.

The flesh started knitting together again, the damage mending.

It wasn't a lethal blow.

Isshin Shiba clicked his tongue in frustration.

'As expected... this "restriction" is too much of a hindrance,' limiting him to only 20% of his spiritual pressure.

'Hopefully, Kūgo Ginjō's message will reach the Seireitei soon.'

Despite his limitations, he didn't back down and continued to fight.

The Vasto Lorde's abilities were formidable.

Aside from "high-speed regeneration," its skin was incredibly tough, requiring Isshin Shiba to muster all the spiritual pressure he could to inflict any damage.

But... beyond that, it didn't seem to have any particularly overwhelming abilities.

Isshin Shiba could manage to keep it at bay.

Their battle raged from Naruki City to Karakura Town.

In the Seireitei...

Miyako Shiba had recovered from her injuries, but her Zanpakutō had yet to be restored.

She voluntarily requested to step down from her Third Seat position, retreating to the Tenth Seat to assist her husband with the 13th Division's administrative duties.

"Bleep, bleep—"

A communication device on the table buzzed.

Kaien Shiba picked it up, frowning.

"What is it?" Miyako leaned over.

Kaien stood up, his expression grave. "Go inform Captain Ukitake."

"I'm going to find Naruto."

"Kūgo just reported that the Hollow in Naruki City has been identified by Uncle Isshin as a Vasto Lorde."

Miyako froze.

'The legendary highest-ranking Menos Grande?'

She nodded seriously, responding with urgency.

At the 7th Division barracks...

Kaien relayed the situation to Naruto.

Naruto nodded, "I understand."

But instead of heading to the Human World immediately—despite Kaien having already applied for the necessary authorization on the way—Naruto led Kaien to the 5th Division barracks.

"My, my, Captain Uzumaki, what brings you to the 5th Division today?" Gin Ichimaru greeted with a sly grin and a wave. "It's such a rare sight."

"Gin, where's Captain Aizen?" Naruto asked.

Gin smiled, shaking his head. "Captain Aizen went out early this morning."

"He said he was going to the Human World... but what exactly he's up to, I don't know."

Naruto's spiritual pressure flared as he searched through the division quarters.

From within him, Yin Nine-Tails also unleashed its spiritual pressure under Naruto's cover.

"He's definitely not here," Yin Nine-Tails confirmed after a while.

'So that's how it is...'

Naruto extended his hand, slamming it to the ground.

White smoke billowed, and Yang Nine-Tails appeared, clutching a bottle of sake with its paws.

"Naruto, what's going on?" Yang Nine-Tails shook its head, fluffing its fur as it asked.

"Captain Aizen has left," Naruto said softly. "I need you to keep watch here."

"Just like before."

Gin tilted his head. "Captain Naruto."

Naruto paused, looking up at him.

"Captain Naruto"...

This was a title Gin hadn't used in a long time. Ever since joining the Gotei 13, he had referred to Naruto more distantly as "Captain Uzumaki."

"Be careful," Gin said quietly, his tone serious, devoid of his usual playful demeanor.

Naruto nodded, flashing a grin. "Of course."

In the Human World, in Karakura Town...

Isshin Shiba was struggling to hold his own.

But after repeatedly using "Getsuga Tenshō," he had gained some ground.

He had figured out the Vasto Lorde's attack patterns.

Now all that was left was to use "Bankai"...

It might not kill it, but it should at least buy time until reinforcements arrive.

But just as he began to gather spiritual pressure into his blade...

A sharp pain suddenly shot through his chest.

He instinctively looked down.

A sharp blade had pierced through his chest.

Not only had his body been attacked, but his spiritual pressure had also been further restricted.

'The enemy?'

He wanted to turn his head, to catch a glimpse of who had ambushed him.

But before he could move, the Vasto Lorde seized the opportunity, lunging to tear him apart.

The sneak attack, combined with the spiritual pressure suppression, left him defenseless against the Vasto Lorde's assault.

In the blink of an eye, he was covered in wounds.

Isshin Shiba gritted his teeth.

'The ambush was truly devastating.'

Attacking at such a critical moment, with such precision.

If he were to die here…

Even if Captain Unohana came to examine him, the cause of death would likely be attributed to being killed by a "Menos Grande."

The Vasto Lorde raised its right hand, a cruel smile spreading across its face as it prepared to deliver the fatal blow.

An arrow of light shot from a distance.

It pierced the Vasto Lorde's hand, deflecting its attack.

Isshin Shiba was stunned.

'Reinforcements? Already?'

But... Naruto doesn't use attacks like that.

And this spiritual pressure doesn't seem to belong to a "Shinigami."

He turned his head to look.

On the other side of the road was a short-haired, orange-haired girl wearing a sailor uniform.

In her hand, she held a massive spiritual bow.

A second arrow was already nocked and ready to fire.

'A Quincy!'

Isshin Shiba was baffled.

'A Quincy, extending a helping hand to a Shinigami?'

Even more surprising was the fact that this girl was incredibly powerful. The spiritual pressure she emitted was on par with that of a captain.

Arrows of light rained down, piercing through the air with a sharp sound.

But…

"Be careful!" Isshin Shiba warned, clutching his wound. "This Hollow is incredibly strong, beyond what you can handle."

"Help me buy some time."

"I need to stabilize my injuries, then we can fight together."

"I've already sent out a request for reinforcements..."

Just as he finished saying this, Isshin Shiba realized his mistake.

He knew the reinforcements would be Naruto.

Naruto was kind-hearted; as long as Isshin requested it, Naruto wouldn't report the Quincy's presence to the Seireitei.

But the girl didn't know that.

In her eyes…

"Quincies" and "Shinigami" were mortal enemies.

Sure enough, her expression changed slightly upon hearing that last sentence.

She increased her spiritual pressure and attempted a few more attacks.

But they were ineffective.

She decisively let go of her bow, allowing the spiritual weapon and the Quincy artifact in her hand to fall to the ground.

The Vasto Lorde was puzzled by her actions.

Its battle instincts told it that this person had abandoned her means of attack.

Space around them seemed to warp slightly.

In the next moment, it lunged at the girl.

Isshin Shiba frowned.

'This is bad,' he thought to himself, cursing his own loose tongue.

The Quincy's power primarily lay in their bows.

By abandoning her most effective weapon, what was she planning to do?

The Vasto Lorde closed in, its jaws snapping down on the girl's shoulder.

At the same time, blue, tree-like patterns spread across the girl's body, significantly weakening the Vasto Lorde's bite.

But…

This was a "Vasto Lorde," the highest class of Menos Grande. Its bite was incredibly powerful, piercing through the defense and sinking its teeth into her flesh.

The girl winced, gritting her teeth as she raised her right hand.

Spiritual pressure gathered.

A short arrow of light formed without the aid of any Quincy artifact, a highly condensed blast of spiritual energy fired at point-blank range.

With a roar, the attack shattered the Vasto Lorde's mask and blew a hole through its head.

Isshin Shiba's eyes widened.

During the extermination of the Quincies, he hadn't participated in the battle, but he knew a bit about their abilities.

This didn't seem to be a standard Quincy technique.

But what concerned him more was the turbulent spiritual pressure within her.

The Vasto Lorde's head was destroyed, but its body remained.

The residual spiritual pressure condensed within it, causing its body to swell like a balloon.

"Look out!" Isshin Shiba gritted his teeth, forcing his spiritual energy to surge as he used Shunpo to dash forward, grabbing the girl around the waist.

The girl gasped.

But the next moment, an explosion drowned out her cry.

Spiritual pressure erupted in a violent shockwave.

The girl patted her chest, her face pale with shock. "Thanks, you're not a bad Shinigami after all."

"I should be thanking you," Isshin Shiba shook his head, his eyes drifting to the wound on her shoulder. "If it weren't for you, I would've been killed by that Hollow."

"Do you need treatment?"

The girl shook her head. "No need, my family owns a hospital."

"See you around, Shinigami."

She wriggled out of Isshin Shiba's grasp and jumped to her feet.

"What's your name?" Isshin Shiba reached out, as if trying to hold her back.

The girl turned playfully, "Me?"

"Masaki. Masaki Kurosaki."

"See you around, Shinigami-uncle."

She was about to leave.

But suddenly, a golden chain appeared, blocking her path.

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