Mayuri Kurotsuchi toyed with his twisted sense of humor, deliberately being cryptic.
"I really don't want to tell Captain Uzumaki this news."
"You'll be quite upset when you find out."
"Bright, sunny, cheerful Captain Uzumaki—" The last words were spoken almost like a hymn.
Naruto lightly tapped the table.
The spiritual pressure rippled out, collapsing the space around them.
Mayuri took a step back.
Only then did he realize—
In just a few months apart, Naruto had grown taller. Previously half a head shorter than him, now he stood half a head taller.
"The material used to forge a Zanpakutō," Mayuri grinned, "is souls."
Naruto narrowed his eyes.
This answer, both expected and logical.
He had already suspected it.
After all, the uniqueness of the "Nine Tails" sword was clear for all to see.
Borrowing the power of the Nine Tails, which itself possessed a soul, meant it could form a sword even without a standard Asauchi.
"Quite the mental fortitude," Mayuri said softly. "I thought someone like Captain Uzumaki would be devastated upon hearing this kind of news."
Naruto glanced at him indifferently.
If it had been before he encountered Aizen, maybe this news would've torn him apart with guilt.
But now, he could ask calmly, "What kind of souls? How are they made?"
"Who knows?" Mayuri spread his hands casually and nonchalantly. "Humans, Shinigami, or Hollows?"
"Maybe even more niche ones—like that little friend of yours, Kūgo Ginjō?"
"As for how they're made…"
"That's taboo. Strictly forbidden."
He had only researched his own Zanpakutō, not the crafting of Zanpakutōs as a whole.
Naruto stared at him. "You don't seem like someone who cares about taboos."
"If the Head Captain found out," Mayuri said indifferently, "he wouldn't forgive me so easily."
Naruto tilted his head. "If it were Captain Urahara, he'd be handing over the forging diagrams by now."
Mayuri's expression stiffened.
He grabbed the scroll on the table. "Since I've already learned your technique, I can't be seen as someone who breaks promises."
"I'll give you what you're looking for."
"As for Urahara..."
"That coward doesn't have the guts to go this far."
Naruto grinned brightly.
That tactic still worked best.
Mayuri impatiently shoved him out.
This person was always the same—
Whenever he tried to refuse something, Naruto would bring that man up.
And he couldn't refute it.
Because when it came to that man—anything was possible.
—
Leaving the 12th Division, Naruto headed to the Shin'ō Academy to request an Asauchi.
Principal Bokō was surprised. "You want an Asauchi?"
"May I ask what you need it for, Naruto?"
To the students who hadn't become Shinigami yet, this was indeed a precious item.
But on the larger scale of the Seireitei, Asauchi weren't all that important.
As long as the process of distributing and collecting them was orderly, some being lost or discarded was acceptable.
After all—
Many Shinigami got their swords by picking them up somewhere.
The 11th Division's Captain Zaraki Kenpachi was the most iconic example.
"It's for a friend of mine," Naruto waved casually.
The miniature Nine Tails appeared on his shoulder in response.
"This is..." Bokō's eyes lit up, surprised by its sudden appearance. What surprised him more was the spiritual pressure radiating from its small body—although not overwhelming, it felt like only a fraction of its true power, yet bottomless.
"This is the friend I mentioned," Naruto nodded.
Bokō eyed the Nine Tails up and down, thoughtful. "Is it similar to Captain Komamura?"
Komamura Sajin of the 9th Division was a well-known captain.
Famous not for his strength, but his appearance.
In a Seireitei full of humanoid bodies, a wolf-headed figure stood out.
The Nine Tails reluctantly nodded.
It didn't think of itself as the same as that mutt.
But in the Soul Society where strange creatures were rare, that explanation was easier to accept and saved a lot of hassle.
"Then I'll register the recipient of this Asauchi," Bokō replied cheerfully.
A few minutes later—
The Asauchi was in hand.
The Nine Tails dutifully strapped it to its back.
Naruto looked it up and down, feeling something was off. When they were nearly back to the 7th Division barracks, realization struck. "You know, something always felt missing—do you want someone to make you a Shihakushō?"
"No," the Nine Tails flatly refused. "Wearing clothes feels weird."
But… right after saying that, it tilted its head, glancing at Naruto.
In over a thousand years, it had never worn clothes—just wasn't a habit.
However, in the Soul Society, all Shinigami, from the Head Captain to low-level officers, wore Shihakushō. Captains just had an added haori.
It was different from the ninja world, where it had no sense of belonging.
But in the Soul Society, it was now a—hmm… Shinigami!
"Okay, fine, make me two sets," the Nine Tails decided after some thought, its tail flicking. "Just carrying a sword feels out of place."
Naruto agreed with a smile.
Soon, the 7th Division members noticed something new in their barracks—
Their captain had a cute Nine-Tailed Fox by his side.
Wearing a custom Shihakushō, sword on its back, strutting around proudly.
Some initially thought it was a pet. Some female members even brought pet food from the human world to try winning its favor.
But reality came crashing down.
This fox was only cute on the outside.
Its mouth… was savage.
Despite Captain Uzumaki's gentle nature, the fox that had been with him for so long had a wickedly sharp tongue.
And not just that—
This fox was strong.
Regular seated officers couldn't get close, and even high-seated ones couldn't last a few moves. Though it hadn't fought the vice-captain yet, the 7th Division had already concluded that the fox's strength was easily vice-captain level or more.
Most importantly—it carried a Zanpakutō.
Which meant—
This fox wearing a Shihakushō wasn't for show. It truly possessed Shinigami power.
Captain Uzumaki—
Where did you even find this ancestor?
—
While the Nine Tails was enjoying its freedom and displaying its might,
Naruto had finished reading Mayuri's research notes on Zanpakutō.
Of course, Mayuri's focus was entirely different from Naruto's.
He studied more about the essence of Zanpakutō power.
"Shikai is the reflection of a Shinigami's own power projected onto the sword."
"Bankai is the result of nurturing the sword's 'self' and allowing it to manifest."
This inspired Naruto greatly.
At the very least, it cleared up one of his lingering doubts—
Why couldn't the "Asura" sword be trained toward Bankai?
"Asura" was a conscious energy within him, but it lacked a soul or self-awareness.
So maybe—
He'd have to wait for the Nine Tails to achieve Bankai training first, and then he could borrow that?
While Naruto focused on his research—
Someone couldn't sit still and came knocking.
In the 7th Division captain's office—
Soi Fon sat quietly in a corner, barely noticeable.
Then Byakuya Kuchiki stormed in, saying nothing, coldly staring at Naruto.
"Byakuya, what's wrong?" Naruto asked, puzzled.
Byakuya's tone was calm, but an undeniable chill seeped through. "Captain Uzumaki, you haven't come to see me in almost three months."
Naruto blinked, thinking back.
The last time he had taken Byakuya to see Hisana was when they stayed in the Soul Society.
"You haven't gone yourself since then?" he scratched his head and asked.
Byakuya didn't respond.
Only now did he sense the familiar spiritual pressure hidden in the corner—
Soi Fon of the 2nd Division was here too.
"Must Captain Uzumaki force you, threaten you, just to make you a little more proactive?" Naruto chuckled and laid it out.
Byakuya took a deep breath and turned to leave.
There were some things he couldn't say with Soi Fon present.
"Byakuya, let me remind you of something," Naruto called out. "What's the average lifespan of a soul?"
"How old is Hisana now?"
"As a soul, she's already over sixty."
Byakuya stopped in his tracks, his aura growing heavier.
He understood exactly what Naruto meant by this reminder.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Naruto stood up. "Or are you going alone?"
Byakuya said nothing, just silently walked out of the room.
—
Four months later—
He returned to Naruto.
After making sure Soi Fon wasn't around, he looked deeply serious, as though he were about to announce a great tragedy.
Naruto's expression tensed too.
Worried that maybe something had happened to Hisana during his months buried in research.
Byakuya finally spoke—and it was indeed about Hisana. But the content was… strange.
"Hisana confessed to me."
Naruto froze, then slammed the table. "Isn't that a good thing? Why do you look like that?"
"I thought something had happened to her!"
Byakuya's expression grew heavier. "When I saw her, I could no longer control my feelings."
"Naruto—"
He looked up, voice firm yet eyes soft. "I want to marry her."
"You love each other," Naruto smiled. "Then get married."
Byakuya opened his mouth.
Naruto cut him off. "Don't give me that old-fashioned nonsense."
"Boring and pointless."
"If you're worried about opposition, I'll back you up."
"Even Head Captain Yamamoto would give me a bit of face."
"And if anyone else opposes it—even the Head Captain—I'll draw my sword against him."
Byakuya was visibly moved.
(End of Chapter)