Shinigami in the Ninja World

Unbreakable, immovable.

Attempting to break it will only provoke a natural counterattack.

With a solemn expression, Muramasa raised his right hand, staring at the old man sitting motionlessly within the barrier, like a stone.

This is... terrible.

Both the thought of breaking the seal and the idea of controlling *Ryūjin Jakka* were completely thwarted.

His facial features twisted in anger and disdain.

An old man is still an old man—crafty and sly.

It seems I'll have to target the other Zanpakutō.

Late into the night, a group of modernized Zanpakutō spirits quietly gathered around Muramasa, listening as they discussed the events of the past hundred years.

The former captains had long since vanished, with only three old acquaintances remaining: Shunsui Kyōraku, Jūshirō Ukitake, and Retsu Unohana.

He also figured out what that special spiritual pressure fluctuation he had recently sensed was all about.

Chaos and war...

A man named "Aizen Sōsuke" had mastered a power called the "Hōgyoku," breaking the boundary between Shinigami and Hollows, attempting to overthrow the Soul Society.

This event also left him with a name to remember.

"Naruto Uzumaki."

In just over a hundred years, it felt as if the Soul Society had undergone millennia of changes.

The once-unattainable and extraordinarily powerful Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni had been defeated by that man named Aizen.

Moreover...

After defeating the Captain-Commander, Aizen evolved once again, growing even more powerful—only to be defeated by someone else.

The current 7th Division captain, *Naruto Uzumaki*, using only the power of Shikai...

"*Vortex*, huh?" Muramasa muttered the name of that sword. "The most powerful wind-type Zanpakutō, capable of obliterating everything."

As he spoke, his gaze fell on *Hyōrinmaru*.

The massive sword, fused with the bodhisattva statue on its back—a wind-and-ice-type Zanpakutō.

"The power that surpasses even the Captain-Commander," Muramasa continued softly, filled with longing, "If I could obtain it..."

He raised his hand, his words trailing off.

"Then, let's begin."

The modernized Zanpakutō spirits sprang into action.

The 7th Division's internal guards were the first to respond, but with both the captain and vice-captain absent, the duties fell temporarily to the Third Seat, Momo Hinamori.

The announcement from *Bakudō #77. Tenteikūra (天挺空羅, Heavenly Rickshaws in Silken Air)* reported the intruders.

The whole Gotei 13 was on high alert.

The last war had just ended, and now a new group of enemies had suddenly appeared.

"Who are these intruders this time?" Hitsugaya Tōshirō raised an eyebrow. "Arrancar? Or something else?"

"But... Captain Naruto is in Hueco Mundo," Rangiku Matsumoto said, shaking her head from behind him. "They're not Arrancar, nor any other known enemies."

"Apparently, they're people who possess the power of Shinigami."

Hitsugaya turned to his lieutenant.

The power of Shinigami?

Impossible!

Another Aizen?

Rangiku said nothing further.

The two of them *shunpoed* forward, quickly arriving at the scene of the rebellion.

The sounds of chaos were unceasing—ice, fire, and wind blades raged through the buildings. The ordinary soldiers seemed so small and fragile in the face of such power, toppling over helplessly with even a slight gust of wind, unable to resist.

One building after another collapsed, the glow of flames illuminating the wreckage.

The cries and commands of the Shinigami echoed in all directions, mingling with calls for reinforcements.

It was a chaotic scene, composing a grim tableau.

Most of the captains and vice-captains had already arrived.

A man with brown hair stood tall among them.

Brown hair...

Again with the brown hair.

Do people with this hair color have some innate rebellious streak?

"A young face," Muramasa remarked, standing on the broken spire, the ruined crescent moon of the Soul Society silhouetting him from behind, hanging crookedly in the sky, just like the shattered Seireitei. "White hair, short in stature—the captain of the 10th Division, Tōshirō Hitsugaya."

Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes.

This way of speaking...

Does he understand Seireitei, or does he not?

"Aren't old friends going to greet me?" Muramasa's gaze swept over three figures.

Hitsugaya froze for a moment and glanced at the other captains. He hadn't heard a name, but his gaze naturally fell upon those three individuals.

The three with the most seniority.

"Muramasa…" Shunsui Kyōraku lowered his bamboo hat, uneasily pressing his hand on the hilt of his Zanpakutō. "Weren't you sealed away?"

Muramasa clapped his hands and laughed, "You remember me, Captain Kyōraku."

"Let me correct you."

"The one who was sealed... was Kōga."

Kōga?

Hearing that name, along with "Muramasa," stirred something deep in Byakuya Kuchiki's memories, bringing forth faint recollections from his childhood. Though he hadn't experienced those events, they were undeniably a significant chapter in his life.

"What's your purpose in coming to Seireitei?" Hitsugaya drew his sword and questioned sternly.

Muramasa looked at him carelessly, "So impatient, young one."

"Have you drawn your sword, intending to strike me down?"

In an instant, Ukitake *shunpoed* to Hitsugaya's side, pressing his hand down to make him sheathe his sword.

"He's not a Shinigami," Kyōraku spoke, introducing Muramasa. "He is... a Zanpakutō."

Many were shocked, turning their gaze toward him.

A Zanpakutō?

How could such a living, breathing, human-like figure in front of them be a Zanpakutō?

Those who had learned or were beginning to practice Bankai could understand.

The materialization of the inner power of a Zanpakutō.

But...

Such manifestations rarely appear, especially not in battle.

"When dealing with him, do not use the power of your Zanpakutō," Kyōraku continued gravely. "Muramasa's ability is to make Zanpakutō 'betray' their masters."

The words weighed heavily, like a thousand pounds pressing on their hearts.

"Impossible!" Sajin Komamura shook his head, his voice low and muffled. "The Zanpakutō is a part of our soul. To make it betray..."

Kyōraku said nothing more and simply shook his head.

"Captain Kyōraku still underestimates me," Muramasa raised his hand high, his thumb and index finger pinching together, the tip of the crescent moon caught between them. A shadow fell, covering his face. "Perhaps we've never fought directly…"

"Which is why you don't truly understand my abilities."

"What makes you so sure your Zanpakutō hasn't already betrayed you?"

With a crisp snap of his fingers, figures began to appear.

Each one was a familiar face to someone present.

A tall woman and a short one; twin boys dressed as Onmyoji; a girl with twin ponytails...

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Renji Abarai leaped forward from behind Byakuya Kuchiki, his left hand gently stroking the back of his sword. "Arrogant fool."

"Surrender yourself to me!"

"Howl, Zabimaru!"

Spiritual energy surged into his blade, but there was no response, not even a glimmer of light.

Renji froze, looking down at his sword.

His Shikai had failed?

What... was happening?

Muramasa lowered his hand and clasped it to his chest. "I told you already, I've stripped you of the ability to use your Zanpakutō."

He made a gentle gesture.

"Abarai Renji." From the shadows emerged a figure that walked toward him—a woman with a monkey-like appearance, accompanied by a snake-tailed child at her side. They were one entity. "We refuse to lend you our power any longer."

Renji's eyes widened.

He recognized this figure instantly.

It was the manifested form of his Zanpakutō!

"Thank you for teaching me an important lesson." Muramasa crossed his arms, slightly raising his chin, his tone and expression equally arrogant. "The old era should come to an end."

"Shinigami have ruled over Zanpakutō…"

"But that era should end."

Shunsui Kyōraku shook his head. "Such powerless statements aren't convincing in the least."

"Then let me show you something more convincing." Muramasa waved his hand, leaning forward, his voice heavy with emphasis. "Haven't you noticed there's someone missing here?"

The thought flashed in someone's mind.

Muramasa, seeming to read it, immediately denied, "I'm not talking about the 7th Division captain, Naruto Uzumaki, who went to Hueco Mundo."

"I mean—"

"The Captain-Commander, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni."

"Hasn't anyone noticed he's not here?"

Soi Fon *shunpoed* to his side, even without a sword, her Hakuda skills were still formidable.

Muramasa remained unmoved.

A golden flash appeared, blocking Soi Fon's kick.

"Suzumebachi." Soi Fon squinted, staring at the one who had intercepted her attack. "Are you truly going to betray me?"

This brown-haired, twin-tailed figure...

Was her Zanpakutō.

Suzumebachi shook her head. "Muramasa has shown me another path—one that's more interesting and free."

"I will no longer be bound by your inner self."

Muramasa chuckled, clearly enjoying this master-servant conflict, as if it brought him pleasure, even excitement.

"The first thing I wanted to do upon arriving in the Soul Society was to capture *Ryūjin Jakka*," he spread his arms wider, "but that old man is indeed skilled. He was able to resist my powers to some extent."

"I had no choice but to seal him, to prevent him from interfering with my plans."

"As for now…"

He extended his right hand, his spiritual pressure surging.

The Zanpakutō spirits behind him lent their power to Muramasa, mixing together to form an even greater spiritual force.

The ground cracked, twisted, and dozens of pillars rose from the earth.

The Zanpakutō spirits stood upon these pillars, towering above, looking down upon the scene below.

A massive shadow fell, engulfing all the captains and soldiers.

Muramasa stood with his hands in his pockets, his gaze cold and indifferent; after scanning the crowd, his eyes finally locked onto Byakuya Kuchiki, staring intently at him.

"What a pity. That man, Aizen Sōsuke, couldn't inflict enough damage on you to be truly devastating."

"But it doesn't matter."

"Shinigami without their Zanpakutō are no better than trash."

"You've been under the illusion that you are capable because you've controlled your Zanpakutō."

"Now, let me shatter that illusion."

"From today onward, Zanpakutō will no longer be controlled by Shinigami."

~~~

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