Chapter 99: Chapter 99: Kugō Ginjō
Naruto stood up to greet the visitor, somewhat surprised. "Captain Ukitake, what brings you here?"
It was well known that the captain of the 13th Division rarely left his quarters.
As he spoke, Naruto activated his Mind's Eye of the Kagura.
"I'm Ukitake Jūshirō," the captain clarified, shaking his head.
Although he hadn't been there that day, Shunsui and Naruto had filled him in afterward.
He understood part of Naruto's surprise.
Deliberately, he emphasized his identity.
The emotional response was genuine. Naruto smiled. "Why not just have Kaien come and call me?"
"I have something to ask of you," Ukitake Jūshirō said, shaking his head. "If I had sent Kaien to summon you, it would have been too disrespectful."
"My health may be poor, but I'm not so weak that I can't walk."
He coughed twice, covering his mouth. "It's better to visit you in person."
Naruto helped him to a seat. "What's so serious that Captain Ukitake had to come in person?"
"The Shinigami dispatched to a spiritually significant location in the real world by the 13th Division has been out of contact for nearly six months," Ukitake Jūshirō said with a serious expression. "If that were the only issue, we could treat it as a regular case of missing contact."
Being assigned to the real world was one of the most dangerous tasks for a Gotei 13 member.
Skill played a part.
But the biggest issue was isolation.
Each area had only one Shinigami, working alone. If they encountered a Hollow with a bit of intelligence, capable of using tricks or strong enough to block spiritual communication, preventing the Shinigami from sending a distress signal to the Soul Society...
The Shinigami's fate was almost certainly sealed.
Thus, the posting of Shinigami to the real world was rotational, typically every ten or twenty years, with even more frequent rotations in spiritually significant areas.
This ensured the safety of the team members and kept the situation in the real world updated.
Yet even so, every year, some Shinigami still went missing, all of whom met their end in battle.
The 13th Division was accustomed to such incidents.
"But the nature of this case is somewhat different from usual," Ukitake Jūshirō continued. "Although Shinigami has lost contact, the 12th Division has reported that souls are still being sent to the afterlife and Hollows are being cleansed in that area."
"The Shinigami is still performing their duties."
Naruto was momentarily stunned.
"There are two possibilities now," Ukitake Jūshirō sighed. "One is that the Shinigami is still alive but refuses to contact the Soul Society. In other words..."
He paused, then cautiously uttered two words: "Desertion."
After serving for a long time and reaching a certain age, Shinigami could "retire," but this did not mean leaving the division. "Retirement" meant giving up their official position within the division, sealing their Zanpakutō, and no longer handling tasks. They would still live freely within the Soul Society, under the jurisdiction of their original division, and could be called upon if necessary.
The key points are "handing over the Zanpakutō" and "remaining within the Soul Society."
Living under the watch of the Gotei 13.
It was impossible to "leave" the Soul Society.
Any similar actions were considered "desertion."
"But this Shinigami is still performing their duties," Naruto mused. "Cleansing Hollows and sending souls to the afterlife... That doesn't sound like something a deserter would do."
Deserters usually wished to erase their presence completely, avoiding any actions that would draw attention from the Soul Society.
Ukitake Jūshirō nodded slightly. "That's exactly why I'm considering this."
"I suspect there might be some misunderstanding."
"If we were to send the 2nd or 9th Divisions, it might seem too formal."
"Yet the 13th Division is overwhelmed with tasks, and Kaien is too tied up to get away."
"So, I came to ask you, Naruto. If it's you, I believe you can handle this matter."
Naruto nodded in agreement. "No problem."
"Which area of the real world?"
Ukitake Jūshirō softly replied, "It's a place called 'Karakura Town.'"
The real world, Karakura Town.
This place was known even within the Soul Society as a spiritually significant area, under close watch by the 12th Division.
More Hollows were born here, and they were stronger than in other places.
In a narrow alley of the city, a Hollow resembling a giant ape climbed through the stairwell, chasing after a fleeing Shinigami.
"Why are you running?" The Hollow sneered, its voice wild.
"Not long ago, you were so brave, drawing your sword against me."
"How is it that now..."
"You're running like a little mouse?"
"Is this what Shinigami are like?"
The fleeing Shinigami did not respond, hurrying along, stumbling and staggering, as he fled into a narrow alley.
The Hollow followed.
But inside the alley, a high wall loomed, blocking the way forward.
The figure clung to the wooden utility pole like a monkey, its hollow eyes gleaming with greed. "What a pity, the road is blocked. Shinigami, it seems you have no way out."
"You've gone to such great lengths."
"But fate has ordained that you become my meal."
As it spoke, it descended from the air, lunging at the Shinigami.
The Shinigami raised his sword to counterattack, but his stance was ordinary, untrained. After a few exchanges, it was clear he was at a disadvantage.
"Still struggling?" The creature grew more arrogant as it gained the upper hand in the fight, its tone becoming increasingly insolent. "This is fate!"
"Accept your fate!"
"You are destined to be my food—"
It couldn't finish its sentence.
The Shinigami, who had been suppressed, suddenly lifted his head. Beneath his sharp, blade-like eyebrows was a piercing gaze. "Do you know?"
"Sometimes, showing weakness to the enemy is not a sign of frailty."
"But rather a tactic."
"For example, now, you've fallen into my trap."
The monkey-like creature froze.
A trap?
Are there other Shinigamis lying in ambush here?
But it hadn't sensed any other spiritual pressure.
In that moment of distraction.
The Shinigami before it removed the necklace from his neck, a pendant in the shape of a cross.
On it, power twisted.
In an instant, it transformed into a large sword, and within less than three steps between them, it swiftly thrust forward, piercing the creature's throat before it could react.
The monkey-like creature stared at him in disbelief.
Another sword?
When was there a second sword?
And why did it emerge from a necklace? Is this Shinigami's initial release?
The man discarded the other sword in his hand, gripped the hilt of the new sword with both hands, gritted his teeth, and exerted force, slicing through and killing the Hollow.
He watched as the spiritual particles gradually disintegrated.
He breathed a sigh of relief, touching his wound with a grimace.
This was truly a troublesome enemy. If he hadn't deliberately lured it into such a narrow space, enticing it to engage in close combat, and then used the second sword to launch a surprise attack, he would have been killed by the creature's claws.
He moved forward, ready to leave.
But a voice suddenly appeared beside his ear.
"Quite a clever tactic." It was a gentle voice, soft but unmistakable in the quiet, narrow alley.
"However."
"What is the deal with your second sword? It doesn't seem like a Shinigami's power."
The man froze, his body stiffening.
In disbelief, he slowly turned his head.
Someone?
When did they arrive?
He had clearly confirmed with his spiritual energy that no one else was in this alley when he entered.
The first thing that caught his eye was a head of blonde hair.
Over the black Shinigami robe, the figure wore a white haori.
Not very tall, just over 1.6 meters.
He stood on top of a high wall, looking down at him.
Even though his eyes could see him, the figure still didn't exist in his spiritual sense.
He must have been watching my fight with the Hollow from the beginning when I entered this alley.
Such a small figure, yet it brought overwhelming pressure.
"Who are you?" The man swallowed, nervously and cautiously asking.
"You've acquired the power of a Shinigami," Naruto jumped down from the high wall, slowly walking toward him, "but you don't know what this attire of mine signifies?"
The man shook his head.
"It seems you know nothing about Shinigamis. So how did you obtain this power?" Naruto looked up at him.
The man had black hair and strong facial features.
Around his neck hung the cross necklace, now returned to its original form.
"I inherited it from an old man," he said stiffly, lowering his head, not daring to meet the blonde youth's gaze.
Naruto gently waved his hand, "Don't be so nervous."
"Please explain the situation in detail. I have enough time to listen to your story."
The man took a deep breath and nodded.
Naruto asked him to be thorough.
So he began from the beginning—his childhood.
Since he was a child, he had the ability to see spirits, but at first, he could only vaguely see the shadows of souls. As he grew older, he began to see them more clearly.
Occasionally, he could also see some hideous and vile creatures, the monsters known as "Hollows."
A few years ago, he encountered a man dressed in the black robe of a Shinigami fighting a Hollow in the city. He stepped forward to help, and over time, the two became acquainted.
But one day, half a year ago.
They encountered a very powerful Hollow, and the Shinigami was defeated. Before he died, he transferred his power to this black-haired man, who then defeated the Hollow and thus obtained the Shinigami's power and sword.
"Is that so?" Naruto nodded.
The black-haired man stood nervously.
Now, he had some guesses about the identity of the blonde youth in front of him, likely the "Captain" that the Shinigami had mentioned.
Although he was very gentle, when speaking to him, the man could feel an incomparable aura unconsciously emanating from him.
He spoke weakly, "I am telling the truth, but I have no way to prove myself."
"I know everything you said is true." Naruto smiled at him, "I can tell."
"By the way, I haven't asked your name."
The man stood at attention and reported loudly, "Kugō Ginjō!"
"My name is Kugō Ginjō!"
~~~
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