Shinigami in the Ninja World

In the projection room, there had once been a brief glimpse of Hueco Mundo.

A barren, desolate wasteland of endless yellow sand.

"What a lousy place," Kenpachi Zaraki squatted in mid-air, resting his Zanpakuto on his shoulder as he looked around. "Where are those Arrancar?"

"I can't wait to start cutting people down."

Naruto lowered his head.

What he perceived now, being physically present in this place, seemed quite different from what he had seen through the screen.

Beneath the "yellow sand" lay an enormous space.

That's where the Gillian and Hollows who hadn't yet evolved into Menos Grande resided.

"What's wrong?" Byakuya Kuchiki asked, noticing Naruto's gaze.

"You noticed the Forest of Menos, didn't you?" Unohana Retsu smiled as she stepped forward with Shunpo. "The structure of Hueco Mundo is indeed unique."

Byakuya nodded in sudden understanding.

Kenpachi's eyes lit up.

"Forest of Menos," the name alone sounded like a good place for a fight.

Naruto gave him a sideways glance. "At most, there are only Gillian down there."

Kenpachi clicked his tongue in disappointment, standing up slowly and gazing ahead. "Then I'll just have to cut down the Arrancar."

"Let's move."

He Shunpo'd forward.

"You're going the wrong way," Naruto called out.

Kenpachi looked back, confused.

"You're heading in the wrong direction—it's this way," Naruto pointed in the opposite direction.

Meanwhile, inside Las Noches.

"They've arrived," Aizen said, opening his eyes and speaking softly.

Gin Ichimaru squinted and smiled, clapping his hands. "Aizen-sama, your foresight is remarkable. You even predicted this."

"It wasn't difficult," Aizen said, turning his head slightly toward Gin. "Gin, do you enjoy playing chess?"

"Shogi or Go?" Gin asked.

"Is there a difference?" Aizen stood up, resting his hand on the throne's armrest. "They are both games of strategy and open information."

"Right now, that's exactly how it is between us and the Soul Society."

He made a small gesture with his hand.

The trace left by his fingertip became a crack in the void.

A black garganta opened.

"They know what I want," Aizen continued with a smile, "and I know what they're trying to do."

"Moreover, we have the advantage."

He waved his hand, causing the garganta to expand into a massive portal.

"The strength of the Gotei 13 lies in the fact that every captain can be a major force."

"But right now, they are missing two."

"Four have come to Hueco Mundo, including Naruto."

"They've made quite the sacrifice, simply to invite me over for their endgame."

"So why not oblige their self-destructive intentions?"

Aizen turned his back to Gin.

"Gin, declare war."

"Now is the perfect time."

Gin complied, raising his hand and channeling his spiritual energy. In front of him, a large black square formation appeared, encased within a smaller one.

"Bakudō #77. Tenteikūra (天挺空羅, Heavenly Rickshaws in Silken Air)."

Aizen spoke. "Can you hear me?"

"To the intruders."

In Hueco Mundo.

The four captains stopped in their tracks.

"That's Aizen's voice," Byakuya said, looking up.

Unohana frowned.

They had anticipated their invasion being detected, but for Aizen to announce his awareness so boldly was unexpected.

"I commend you for daring to invade my territory and bare your fangs at me."

"Next, we will commence our attack on the human world."

"As you wish, the location will be Karakura Town."

"Naruto, enjoy your time in Hueco Mundo."

The voice gradually faded.

"So arrogant," Kenpachi sneered, hoisting his sword and curling his lip. "To go out of his way to notify us."

Naruto's tone remained calm. "That's how he is."

Byakuya extended his hand, wearing a black fingerless glove. Spiritual energy surged, causing the air to tremble slightly.

"As expected, space is sealed," he said calmly.

This glove was a tool specifically crafted by Kisuke Urahara, designed to briefly open a garganta.

But right now...

It was useless.

"Let's continue to Las Noches," Naruto waved his hand, his expression as composed as ever. "Stick to the plan."

They moved forward with Shunpo.

No longer concealing or suppressing their spiritual pressures.

Their combined energy surged, causing tremors across all of Hueco Mundo.

In the human world.

A dark shadow swallowed Karakura Town, replacing the vibrant city with an identical replica.

The substitute from Soul Society replaced the original.

A gaping black garganta opened in the sky, ominous and threatening.

Aizen, accompanied by Gin Ichimaru, stepped out from it.

And directly across from them...

Silhouettes began to gather in the void, standing around an old man who leaned on his cane.

On the old man's shoulder sat a fox.

It was Kurama's shadow clone.

It muttered softly, "It's the real Aizen—I can see him."

As the only being not affected by Aizen's Kyoka Suigetsu, Kurama had become a valuable strategic asset.

"It seems the plan worked," the Captain-Commander nodded slightly, his eyes narrowing as he stared at their opponent.

Aizen stepped out of the garganta and spoke quietly, "It worked?"

"What kind of reasoning makes you say that?"

"You've only arrived at this result because I allowed it."

He raised his hand and gestured forward. "I know this isn't the real Karakura Town."

"But does it matter?"

"In the end, I'll defeat you all."

"The only difference is the order."

He waved his hand again.

"Starrk, Baraggan, Harribel, Szayelaporro, and... Luppi."

One after another, five gargantas opened.

Five Arrancar, leading their subordinates, stepped out.

"Only five?" Hitsugaya Tōshirō frowned, his voice tense. "The one we captured was No. 6, so these must be the top five..."

A pink-haired Arrancar glanced at him. "Wrong."

"I'm just No. 8."

Hitsugaya was stunned.

"Allow me to introduce them to you," Aizen said softly, waving his hand. "So that when you die, you'll at least know who killed you."

"The Espada."

"They are the elite I handpicked from among the Arrancar."

"The lower the number, the greater the power."

"They possess abilities far beyond ordinary Arrancar, as if they exist in a different dimension."

The Espada!

The captains' expressions turned grim.

That meant there were ten of these immensely powerful beings. Excluding the captured Grimmjow, that left nine.

But only five stood before them now.

Where were the others?

"Wondering about the rest?" Aizen smiled gently, raising his left hand and holding up a finger. "There are five more."

"I've left them in Hueco Mundo."

"You've made such a significant sacrifice, so it would be rude of me not to match it."

His later words went unnoticed.

What caught everyone's attention was the number.

"9-5" should leave "4," so why did Aizen say there were "five"?

As if reading their thoughts, Aizen said softly, "The Espada are merely my top ten subordinates. That doesn't mean..."

"That only ten Arrancar possess their level of power."

More than ten?

A crushing pressure loomed over them, heavy as a mountain, weighing down on their bodies and minds.

The captains managed to hold steady.

But some of the lieutenants, even without speaking, showed signs of wavering.

Marechiyo Ōmaeda, the lieutenant of the 2nd Division, furrowed his brow. "These guys... their spiritual pressure is monstrous..."

"Should we take them down first?" Kaien Shiba asked, eyeing the Arrancar. "Or go straight for Aizen?"

Ukitake shook his head. "Aizen's abilities are unlike any other."

"Since we're all here, it's best to handle the Arrancar first."

Hitsugaya lowered his voice. "The problem is..."

"Will Aizen just stand there and watch while we fight the Espada?"

The Captain-Commander opened his eyes. "All of you, stand back."

The younger captains were surprised, looking back at him.

But the older ones, hearing this command, instinctively stepped back.

Spiritual pressure surged like a scorching fire.

The cane in the Captain-Commander's hand burned, the wooden surface turning to ash, revealing the Zanpakuto beneath.

He grasped it with one hand.

"All Things in the Universe, Turn to Ashes. Ryūjin Jakka!"

Flames flickered across the blade.

A massive surge of spiritual energy roared upward, reversing like a waterfall.

"Be careful!" Shunsui Kyōraku warned.

The Captain-Commander swung his sword.

"Jōkaku Enjō."

A towering wall of flame engulfed Aizen and Gin, twisting the air with a crackling sound, as if the very reishi in the atmosphere were being incinerated.

A single strike.

But its effect was equivalent to the most advanced binding technique.

"With that, they won't be able to pass through the wall of fire for a while," the Captain-Commander said calmly.

"Now, go deal with the rest of them."

Ukitake clicked his tongue. "The Captain-Commander is really fired up."

Kyōraku pressed down on his hat. "Looks like those guys really pissed him off."

"Let's go," Hitsugaya said, drawing his sword and gathering his spiritual energy.

Inside the flames.

Gin Ichimaru let out a theatrical shout. "Wow, that's scorching hot!"

"The Captain-Commander is really angry."

"What should we do now, Aizen-sama? It seems we can't join the battle."

Aizen remained unmoved. "There's no need to fight."

"They aren't frightening at all."

"With Yamamoto and Naruto separated."

"The outcome of this war has already been decided."

"It will end without us lifting a finger."

Gin smiled and said nothing.

Back in Hueco Mundo...

In the center of the desert stood a smooth, seamless, and eerily pristine white building, so immaculate that it exuded an air of holiness, yet also radiated an unsettling aura of death.

It was entirely out of place in this barren world.

"So, this is Aizen's base?" Byakuya Kuchiki looked down, observing the grand structure, which somewhat resembled the architecture of the Seireitei. "Naruto, what's our next move?"

Kenpachi Zaraki raised his sword, shouting brashly, "Obviously, we cut our way in!"

"Slash down everyone we see!"

"That's what we're here for, isn't it?"

Unohana Retsu smiled softly, shaking her head.

"No need," Naruto said, shaking his head and drawing Kurama's blade. "This place is their stronghold."

"Rushing in blindly would put us at a disadvantage."

Kenpachi clicked his tongue in frustration. "Then what? Wait for them to come out?"

"Even Hollows aren't that stupid."

Naruto waved his hand. "Then let's destroy their stronghold. Problem solved."

He spoke calmly, as if this were routine.

"That's an..." Byakuya began to agree, but suddenly turned to Naruto, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Wait...

What did I just hear?

Destroy their stronghold?

Such a massive palace?

Naruto raised his blade, but unlike before when he stabbed it into his own body to release its power, this time, he held it out in front of him.

"Let's go, Kurama."

In his inner world, Kurama let out an excited roar, and its power surged forth. Golden chakra erupted, but this time, instead of an ethereal cloak, Kurama's entire massive, physical body, hundreds of meters tall, was fully unleashed.

"A different form of release?" Byakuya looked up. Even in the air, it was hard to take in Kurama's entire form.

It was exponentially larger than a Gillian.

"This looks like fun," Kenpachi muttered, itching for a fight.

Just looking at the size and sensing the spiritual pressure made him excited, barely able to contain himself.

"Need help?" Naruto asked Kurama.

Kurama thought for a moment, then waved its hand, dispelling its shadow clone in the human world. With its full spiritual power restored, its aura doubled in intensity. "Let's try it like this first."

"If that doesn't work, I'll switch to Sage Mode."

Naruto nodded, handing over control.

Kurama leaped into the air, crouched down, and coiled its tails. At the tip of its tails, a tiny black dot appeared—insignificant compared to its massive size, like a pixel missing from the world.

Reishi was drawn to it, gathering slowly.

This wasn't the first time they had seen this technique.

But...

They had never seen it performed at such a scale or with such an extended buildup.

The Tailed Beast Bomb grew larger.

In moments, it expanded to nearly half the size of Kurama's massive body.

It shot forward, spinning rapidly as it hurtled toward Las Noches.

The first spire of the tower met the Tailed Beast Bomb.

There was no deafening explosion or overwhelming shockwave. It was eerily silent as the tower disintegrated into its most basic reishi particles, drawn into the gravitational pull of the Tailed Beast Bomb, forming a swirling "ring" around it.

This finally caused a stir.

Several figures dashed out of Las Noches.

The Tailed Beast Bomb surged forward, pressing on, and when it reached the center of the fortress, it exploded with a roar.

The sands boiled, spiritual pressure rippled.

A mushroom cloud, sand tornadoes, screams, and scattering reishi.

In the blink of an eye, the grand structure was nearly obliterated beneath the Tailed Beast Bomb.

The main portion had completely vanished.

Only a few crumbling walls and shattered ruins remained.

"It didn't completely destroy it," Kurama clicked his tongue, clearly displeased.

Byakuya looked up, then lowered his gaze.

This...

How is this not complete destruction?

Kenpachi was in awe, his excitement barely contained.

Such power.

Kurama had never used anything like this in their previous fights.

"Amazing, Naruto," Unohana Retsu praised, though her eyes narrowed as she looked into the distance.

Five figures stood in the air.

They were Arrancar.

The ones who had sensed the Tailed Beast Bomb and had fled Las Noches just in time.

"It seems those five are the Espada," Kurama said, uninterested in launching another attack, having achieved its goal. Rather than fussing over the remaining debris, it was more eager to fight the Arrancar. "At least one of them is likely in the top five."

Kurama hadn't known the ranks of the Arrancar when its clone was in the human world.

Only the pink-haired one had revealed that he was No. 8.

"What terrifying power," a tall, slender man with long hair covering half his face said with a smirk. "To destroy Las Noches so easily."

"No wonder Aizen-sama is so fixated on Naruto Uzumaki."

Another man, bald with dark brown skin, frowned, his expression serious. "Such a beautiful palace, ruined by this reckless display of power."

"Unforgivable."

"The only way to repay Aizen-sama's loss is with your deaths."

He extended his hand.

Naruto withdrew his release, and Kurama hopped onto his shoulder.

"Captain Unohana," Naruto called out, pointing at the slender, mocking Arrancar. "I'll leave that one to you."

Unohana nodded. "No problem."

"I'll take care of that one," Naruto moved his hand to point at another, who had remained silent. "The rest are up to you."

Kurama leaped onto Kenpachi's head.

The short-haired Arrancar didn't protest.

The remaining Hollows had no choice but to accept Naruto's assignments, and the battlefield split accordingly.

Each took their positions for the coming fight.

In this area, only two remained.

Naruto and the short-haired Arrancar.

"Naruto Uzumaki, I know who you are," the Arrancar said, trying to sound welcoming, though his voice was cold and emotionless. "Aizen-sama and Gin-sama mention you often."

"To defeat Grimmjow so quickly... you're a strong one."

"I didn't expect the first of the Espada to face you would be me."

Naruto stared at him. "You seem different from the other Arrancar."

Though his voice carried no emotion, Naruto's heightened sensory perception made it clear.

This Hollow's emotions were no less intense than a human's.

"We may share the same power, but we're all different individuals," the Arrancar replied, shaking his head. "Before we begin, I have a question."

"Aizen-sama said you once agreed with his views, so why did you later reject him?"

His eyes were sincere, as though genuinely curious about the answer.

"Because in pursuing his goals, he trampled on the lives of others," Naruto replied softly.

The Arrancar responded confidently, "Isn't it natural for the weak to be devoured by the strong?"

"Is that so?" Naruto drew his sword. "I suppose, given that you're a Hollow, that makes sense."

"For you, the strong devouring the weak is a natural way of life."

Naruto's gaze shifted to the Hollow's Hollow hole, located in the center of its collarbone.

"Without a heart, you wouldn't understand what it means to have one."

The Arrancar looked down, hands in his pockets, unfazed. "Naruto Uzumaki, I hope you are as strong as Aizen-sama says."

"I am No. 4 of the Espada."

"My name is Ulquiorra Cifer."

~~~

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