Shinigami in the Ninja World

Chapter 218: Evolve

In the Seireitei, he was always referred to simply as "Captain-Commander." Most rank-and-file soldiers knew only his surname, not his full name.

For the peace of the three worlds, he could sacrifice himself without a second thought.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, get back!" the Captain-Commander barked.

"You\'re not a member of the Gotei 13. What you\'ve done already…"

"…is more than enough."

Flames nearly consumed the entire area.

The air sizzled, twisting and warping under the intense heat.

The sun seemed to descend upon the battlefield.

But Aizen showed no fear. He smiled faintly. "How noble, Captain-Commander."

"But why would you think I hadn\'t prepared for this?"

He raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.

A crisp snap echoed.

The towering pillars of flame that had risen all around were extinguished in an instant, leaving behind only searing heat.

The Captain-Commander turned, his expression heavy.

What\'s going on?

Why…

Why had the flames of Ryūjin Jakka vanished?

He was certain this wasn\'t an illusion created by Kyōka Suigetsu. External events might be questionable, but his own body couldn\'t be mistaken.

The spiritual pressure on his blade had dissipated.

It was as if something had devoured it.

"Confused?" Aizen smiled. "Allow me to explain."

"Your Ryūjin Jakka is the strongest Zanpakutō. There\'s no doubt about that."

"If we were to truly fight, even as I am now, I wouldn\'t be able to match you."

"However…"

"I\'ve already told you—I\'m not afraid of you."

"You and Naruto-kun are different."

"You\'re powerful. You\'re ancient. But you bring nothing new."

"These eyes of mine see right through you."

"Hollows, by giving up all other abilities and evolving only one, can counter the strongest Zanpakutō."

He gestured with his hand.

A figure appeared between them, wreathed in flames and spiritual energy—a strange-looking Arrancar.

Tall and imposing, with a humped back and an insect-like head.

"Wonderweiss is the only Arrancar I\'ve ever modified."

"He\'s sacrificed everything—his language, knowledge, memories, even reason."

"All to become the perfect counter to you, to seal the flames of Ryūjin Jakka."

"His name is \'Wonderweiss Margela,\' the Extinguisher."

The Captain-Commander\'s expression remained stoic as he slowly sheathed his sword.

Aizen looked down at him, his eyes filled with pity. "You\'re out of options."

"Goodbye…"

"Yamamoto Genryūsai."

He waved as if bidding farewell to an old friend.

...

Meanwhile, in Hueco Mundo…

Naruto sealed Ulquiorra away and glanced around. The battles weren\'t over yet.

Kenpachi Zaraki was still trading blows with the Tenth Espada.

Byakuya Kuchiki\'s battlefield was shrouded in a storm of sakura petals.

Kurama\'s fight wasn\'t a concern—Naruto could feel the fox\'s exhilaration and joy.

What surprised Naruto was…

Unohana Retsu\'s battle.

The Medical Squad captain, whom Naruto had always respected, had a reputation in the Seireitei for being gentle and approachable. She was an old and seasoned captain without the arrogance that usually came with it.

Although, after spending enough time with her, Naruto had sometimes sensed something "frightening" about her.

A chill, creeping from the base of his spine.

That was one of the reasons Naruto had always addressed her with the utmost respect, calling her "Captain Unohana."

And now, that unsettling feeling was taking shape.

She possessed a fighting style that rivaled Kenpachi Zaraki\'s.

Frenzied. Brutal.

Similar to Naruto\'s old way of fighting.

Both relying on immense regenerative powers, trading injury for injury.

But there was a key difference…

Naruto had fought like that to exploit his opponent\'s weaknesses.

But in Unohana Retsu\'s eyes, Naruto could see pure desire.

Desire for battle.

So that\'s who she truly is.

Naruto was deep in thought when a series of cracks echoed through the sky above.

He looked up.

Shards of the broken space fell like rain, black cracks widening and stabilizing.

The barrier Aizen had set up was collapsing.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Naruto-kun." Kisuke Urahara emerged from the rift, bowing slightly. "Aizen\'s technology for manipulating the Garganta is truly impressive."

Naruto nodded. "How\'s the situation outside?"

"Not great." Urahara shook his head, his expression somber. "It seems the Hōgyoku hasn\'t fully evolved Aizen yet, but the Captain-Commander…"

Naruto headed toward the Garganta. "I\'ll go assist now."

Urahara watched silently as Naruto\'s figure disappeared into the darkness, his gaze deep and thoughtful.

"Naruto…"

"Will you evolve as well?"

He muttered softly, turning his attention back to the battlefield, his eyes settling on Kurama.

---

Back in the real world…

The Captain-Commander tore Wonderweiss apart with his bare hands.

His expression was cold. "I\'m called the strongest Shinigami for a reason. My strength doesn\'t rely on just one Zanpakutō."

"A mere Arrancar…"

"…can\'t hope to contain me."

With a flash of Shunpo, he appeared before Aizen, raising his right hand. "Any last words?"

"If not…"

"I\'ll put an end to this farce right now."

Aizen, with his hands still in his pockets, chuckled softly. "Foolish old man."

"Unlike you, Naruto-kun wouldn\'t miss the meaning of my words."

The Captain-Commander narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean by that?"

Aizen\'s gaze turned sharp and dangerous. "Earlier, I mentioned that Wonderweiss was created to seal Ryūjin Jakka\'s flames."

"The sealing wasn\'t limited to preventing the flames from being released—it also applied to the flames already unleashed."

"So…"

"Where do you think those flames are sealed now?"

The Captain-Commander\'s eyes widened, his pupils dilating.

He realized.

They had to be sealed within the body of the recently slain Wonderweiss.

Could a dead Arrancar still retain its abilities?

He spun around.

Wonderweiss\'s body was swelling, a massive surge of spiritual pressure building within.

Aizen, still with his hands in his pockets, spoke softly. "When the full power of the Captain-Commander is unleashed, indiscriminately, and beyond your control, what do you think will happen?"

As he spoke, the spiritual pressure erupted, and flames burst forth.

Smoke, orange light, twisted air, and torn space…

The explosion was instantaneous, and just as quickly, it dissipated.

The Captain-Commander lay on the ground, gasping for breath, his body charred and blackened.

"To survive such a massive explosion… how impressive," Aizen commented arrogantly. "You truly are the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13."

"Your choice was predictable."

"But then again…"

"If you hadn\'t used your body to shield the explosion, this entire town, along with your precious barrier, would have been reduced to ash."

"Thank you, Yamamoto Genryūsai."

"For…"

"Protecting my world as well."

The Captain-Commander\'s voice was weak, filled with anger. "You…"

Aizen descended slowly, walking toward him, his tone calm. "As I said from the start, you were never a concern for me."

"Your strength is superficial."

"And now…"

"I barely had to lift a finger, and you\'re about to die from your own attack."

The Captain-Commander gritted his teeth, still trying to muster the last of his spiritual pressure.

Aizen approached, pulling his hands out of his pockets and unsheathing his sword. "I won\'t give you the courtesy of sparing your life."

"Though you were a fool…"

"You were still the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, nearly synonymous with the history of Soul Society."

"So at the very least…"

"I will send you off with my blade."

He raised his sword, ready to strike.

But the Captain-Commander grabbed Aizen\'s ankle, grinning. "You\'re too naive, boy."

His gathered spiritual pressure erupted.

"Hadō #96. Ittō Kasō (一刀火葬, Single Blade Cremation)."

A blade of flame shot from the ground, slicing upward.

Aizen frowned, reacting instinctively, but with his ankle held, he couldn\'t fully evade.

He shifted his body slightly, hastily forming a barrier of spiritual energy.

But the thin shield stood no chance against the powerful Kidō.

The flames scorched him, leaving deep wounds.

"How decisive," Aizen grinned through the pain. "After realizing you couldn\'t fight any longer, you chose to burn yourself to launch such an attack."

"But it\'s unfortunate…"

"…even now, that level of Kidō won\'t kill me."

He raised his sword again.

"It\'s over, Yamamoto Genryūsai."

…

At that moment…

Golden chains descended from the sky, one wrapping around the Captain-Commander, another around Aizen.

In the next instant…

Ichigo Kurosaki shot into the sky, his face covered by a Hollow mask, wielding the combined power of Hollow and Shinigami. He swung Tensa Zangetsu.

"Getsuga Tenshō!"

A blast of condensed black spiritual energy shot forth from the blade.

The chains shattered, and the attack struck Aizen, carving a deep wound into his body.

Aizen looked up, his gaze focused above him.

A Garganta had opened.

A golden figure emerged, grabbing the Captain-Commander and landing near the unengaged members of the 4th Division.

"So soon?" Aizen chuckled. "It seems Ulquiorra didn\'t put up much of a fight."

"You underestimated us, Aizen," Naruto replied as he handed the charred body to the healers and approached Aizen, eyeing his wound.

Aizen nodded. "I didn\'t expect you to resist this much."

"But…"

"What does it matter?"

Ichigo frowned, his voice cold. "You\'re already injured. That\'s enough of a victory."

Aizen interrupted him immediately. "Injured?"

"You call this an injury?"

Ichigo froze.

Aizen pulled aside his clothing, revealing the wound beneath the blood-soaked fabric. His flesh knitted together before their eyes, skin regenerating at an alarming speed.

"High-speed regeneration!" Ichigo muttered, recalling his encounters with Hollows.

Aizen shook his head. "No, it\'s not."

"Did you think…"

"I would choose Hollowfication?"

"Evolution isn\'t just about changing into a different form."

Naruto landed beside Ichigo. "It\'s the power of the Hōgyoku, isn\'t it?"

"Clever," Aizen said, pulling open the rest of his clothing to reveal the glittering orb embedded in his side. "But Naruto-kun, you\'ve come too late."

"It\'s a shame I couldn\'t finish off Yamamoto Genryūsai."

"But he\'s no longer capable of fighting."

"Now that it\'s just you…"

"You\'ll be much easier to handle."

Naruto raised his sword, his expression calm as he scanned the battlefield, sensing the captains still engaged in battle with the Arrancar. Beyond the battlefield, another presence lingered. "Is that so?"

"I\'ve been waiting for this moment for a long time."

Aizen smiled lightly. "Itching for revenge?"

"Think you can do it?"

Naruto swung his blade.

Spiritual energy surged over his body, coating him in a brilliant, multicolored golden aura.

"Ichigo, stand back."

"I\'ll take it from here."

Ichigo hesitated, glancing between Aizen and Naruto, unsure of what to do, when a hand suddenly grabbed the back of his collar, pulling him back.

He turned to see Kisuke Urahara.

"Don\'t rush. Wait a little longer."

Naruto clapped his hands together.

The chains enhanced by Sage Mode danced around him, thicker and more vibrant than before.

They lashed toward Aizen.

The brown-haired man tried to dodge, but his speed couldn\'t keep up with the empowered chains. After a few moves, he was bound tightly.

"So sluggish," Naruto remarked, standing in the air as he approached with his sword. "You\'re even slower than the day in the Seireitei."

"You didn\'t handle the Captain-Commander as easily as you thought, did you? You\'ve reached your limit."

Aizen, bound and covered in sealing spells, remained calm, only smiling faintly. "You\'re right, Naruto-kun."

"I have reached my limit…"

"But—"

He drew out the word, laughing joyfully. "That\'s the limit of me as a Shinigami."

"I\'m going to reshape my soul."

"The Hōgyoku has finally started to understand my true desires."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, tossing Kurama\'s blade forward. It stabbed into Aizen\'s chest.

He avoided targeting the Hōgyoku directly, as Urahara had told him it was impossible to destroy.

There was no point in trying something futile.

Aizen winced in pain but continued speaking. "Naruto-kun, do you know what the Hōgyoku\'s true ability is?"

"Breaking the boundary between Shinigami and Hollow?" Naruto asked as he prepared another sealing spell.

"Wrong." Aizen shook his head. "Both you and Kisuke Urahara are wrong."

"The Hōgyoku\'s true ability…"

"…is to read the hearts of those around it and manifest their deepest desires."

Naruto paused, startled.

"Surprised? So was I." Aizen chuckled. "It\'s an ability that\'s almost fantastical."

"But that\'s exactly why…"

"The miracles that have occurred around Ichigo Kurosaki, Rukia Kuchiki, and even Kisuke Urahara were all made possible by the Hōgyoku."

"Though, its power has limits, and it requires the person in question to have the capacity for change."

"In that sense, it can be said that it simply guides people toward what they desire most."

"You should be grateful."

He looked down at the Hōgyoku embedded in his chest. "External pressure is what pushes one to evolve."

"And now, the time has come."

"I\'m going to evolve, Naruto-kun."