Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Country of Japan, not Land of Fire...
The internship will take place in one week.
There will be no teachers accompanying.
A team will be led by the outstanding students from the sixth grade.
Seireitei is silent and profound, and the "Senkaimon" standing in the corner is even more so.
A huge open-air arena-like venue.
A straight, wide, turquoise road leads to a large, lacquered red door inscribed with golden characters.
This is the "portal" from the Soul Society to the human world.
At the starting point of the road.
This batch of intern students gathered.
An older male student spoke: "This time, going to the human world, there's no need to be nervous."
"We're heading to a town called Akita, not a high-spiritual area."
"Even if we encounter Hollows, they'll just be some newborn, weak ones."
"The spirits for the Konsō (Spirit Burial), the stationed Shinigami, have already prepared for us..."
He continued introducing.
Naruto, feeling restless, didn't listen very attentively.
Akita?
Never heard of it.
Doesn't sound like a ninja village, just an ordinary town in the country?
He wasn't sure if it was within the Land of Fire.
The "Land of Fire" is the country that rules over Konoha.
Other countries, like the Land of Water and the Land of Wind, he had only heard of, not familiar with.
While thinking, the upperclassman's speech reached the end: "After completing the Spirit Burial, please return to the arrival point immediately."
The giant red door also quietly and gently opened to both sides.
A gentle white light burst forth.
The upperclassman raised his hand, and a black swallowtail butterfly landed on his index finger: "Follow the team closely."
"In the Dangai, without the guidance of the Hell Butterfly, it's very dangerous."
In the human world, under the bright night sky.
In the forest, first, a white dot flickered, then expanded in the blink of an eye, unfolding like a four-pointed star. The Ukiyo-e Gate appeared in the white light and slowly opened.
A group of Shinigami trainees walked out from it.
They were chattering.
Naruto looked around.
The trees were sparse, not enough to cover the sky.
This...shouldn't be the Land of Fire. The trees around Konoha are tall and lush, but these are scattered, only at the level of "saplings."
"Alright, let's begin." The upperclassman clapped his hands lightly.
The other trainees scattered to find their spirits.
Naruto did not move.
The upperclassman asked: "Uzumaki-kun, what's wrong?"
"Senpai, which country is this?" Naruto asked curiously.
He perked up his ears, ready to hear an answer like "Land of Wind" or "Land of Lightning."
The upperclassman was puzzled: "Why do you want to know?"
"This is Japan."
Shinigami generally have little interest in the human world.
Even most of the civilian Shinigami from Rukongai are usually second-generation spirits — that is, children born from the union of spirits.
But considering this famous junior from the Shin'ō Academy is one of the rare types who possessed immense spiritual power upon dying in the human world, it was not surprising he asked such a question.
"Japan?" Naruto was stunned, "Is it close to the Land of Fire?"
This was a country name he had never heard of.
The upperclassman blinked: "Land... of Fire?"
"Sorry Uzumaki-kun, I've never heard of that country."
Naruto widened his eyes, the unease he felt before the internship bloomed at this moment: "How can it be, the Land of Fire is the most powerful country."
The upperclassman smiled slightly: "Most powerful? I'm not very knowledgeable about the human world, but the most powerful country among humans doesn't seem to have that name."
Naruto reluctantly nodded: "Okay, I understand."
"Maybe the Land of Fire is just the name of a village," the upperclassman said, gently comforting, "You were quite young when you came to the Soul Society, perhaps you remembered wrong."
Naruto gave him a grin: "Yes, thank you, senpai."
He was the last to leave.
He did not immediately go to find the spirit he needed to perform the Spirit Burial on.
The identity of "Shinigami" brought him many conveniences. Ordinary people without spiritual power could neither see nor sense him, allowing him to move freely among human dwellings, reading books and searching for information.
The scenery here was beautiful.
Seas of clouds, forests, hot springs...
Naruto had no interest in these.
He soon found a world map in a large local household.
"Japan" was a small piece on the map.
The land was vast compared to others, but none had the name "Land of Fire."
He also found traces of "ninjas."
But…
The impression Naruto had of ninjas was quite different. Although they engaged in activities like "spying," "intelligence gathering," and "assassination," the ninjas in this world were ordinary people. They neither possessed "chakra" nor had they mastered "spiritual power."
They were distinguished by "factions," not "villages."
All this information combined could only lead to one conclusion.
"Konoha" was not the living world equivalent of the "Soul Society."
This place was a completely different time and space.
He couldn't find his parents in the Soul Society.
Naruto sat on a tree branch.
He looked at a lonely crescent moon in the sky, half obscured by thick clouds.
He felt a kinship with it.
In front of the portal.
The students were gradually returning.
Soul Burials were not difficult, but sometimes the souls' locations were not fixed, making it a task to find them.
This really tested one's ability to master "Reiraku."
"Has Uzumaki not returned yet?" As most people gathered, the upperclassman student looked around, noticing the absence of a distinctive blonde figure in the crowd.
"Not yet."
"I saw Uzumaki to the east; he seemed to be still searching for souls."
The upperclassman student frowned.
Restless souls that were hard to find indeed posed a problem.
Many souls turned into "Hollows" because they moved around randomly and the Shinigami couldn't find them in time.
But... with Uzumaki Naruto's abilities, it shouldn't take this long.
Whether it was the Dean or the Teachers, they all said Naruto now had the skills of a high-ranking lieutenant.
He shouldn't have to worry.
But the expression Naruto had when he asked questions earlier made him feel concerned.
No matter how strong, he was still just a child under "Fifty" years old.
The upperclassman student hesitated whether to suggest going to look for Naruto.
At that moment.
Several strong, evil spiritual pressures emerged nearby.
He was startled and looked around nervously.
Two ferocious and terrifying monsters, faces covered with bone masks, suddenly ran and flew out of the forest, clearly targeting this group of Shinigami.
"Be careful, Hollows attacking!" an upperclassman shouted.
The students panicked.
They had little experience fighting "Hollows."
"Hadō #4. Byakurai (白雷, Pale Lightning)!"
But some upperclassmen remained calm, reacted quickly, recited incantations, and cast spells.
However...
The flash of white lightning struck one of the Hollows, but it couldn't even pierce its skin.
The Hollow laughed mockingly.
As if to ridicule how weak this attack was.
"It's an high-level Hollow!" an upperclassman student couldn't suppress the tremor in his voice, "Quick, call for help!"
"No use," another shook his head, holding a trembling Hell Butterfly, "Spiritual communication is interrupted, we can't send for help."
Hearing this, many turned to look.
Interrupted?
How could it be interrupted?
During internships, students stayed in constant contact with the Soul Society, with no exceptions.
"Delicious spiritual power." In an instant, a Hollow rushed to the front of the crowd, grabbed a Shinigami, and spoke, its voice greedy.
It was... craving food.
The upperclassman student drew his sword, fearlessly charging to slash its arm.
Several other upperclassmen reacted, chanting together.
"Hadō #12. Fushibi (伏火, Ambush Flare)."
Thick orange flames surged, binding the Hollow's arm, forcing it to drop the person it was holding.
Sizzling burns produced white smoke.
But these injuries were not fatal, only causing the Hollow pain. It struggled fiercely and easily broke the flame binds.
With another swipe of its claw.
The upperclassman student in close combat was sent flying.
The Hollow crouched, lunging forward to bite him.
"Senpai!" someone cried out in horror, voice hoarse, filled with grief.
At the critical moment.
A ball of crimson spiritual power struck, knocking the Hollow over and exploding.
The Hollow roared in pain.
Thick black liquid dripped from its body.
The upperclassmen recognized it as Hadō #31. Shakkahō (赤火砲, Red Fire Cannon).
One they couldn't cast.
Who was the caster?
The answer immediately came to mind.
"Uzumaki!" someone shouted.
They followed the spiritual pressure.
A blonde boy stood on a tree.
The crescent moon behind him creates a softened backdrop.
"Sorry, got distracted, came back late." He slowly relaxed his hand, eyes sharp, "A Hollow?"
"My first time fighting such a creature."
"So, let's—"
Naruto said, drawing "Nine-Tails," swinging the blade forward: "Blow off some steam."
In a flash step, he vanished.
The students only saw a streak of "golden light" pass before their eyes.
Next, the Hollow's body split in half.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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