One Year Later

With Rock Lee stepping forward for him, the two seemed to grow a little closer.

"Naruto, in my eyes, you're not that Nine-Tails Fox Demon. You're my friend! A friend I acknowledge!" Rock Lee told Naruto solemnly afterward.

"Thank you."

Rock Lee was the first person to stand up and speak for Naruto.

It was impossible not to be moved.

But as Aizen put it, sympathy and being moved were the most pathetic emotions, the ones that should be cast aside.

So Naruto quickly put those feelings behind him.

He viewed Rock Lee rationally.

Simple-minded, hot-blooded boys like him often made excellent comrades.

"Same time tomorrow. Meet at the training ground." After dinner, the two agreed on when to meet again the next day.

In the days that followed, Naruto gained a training partner.

Rock Lee bought weights alongside Naruto. He had no interest in swords, so he spent most of his training time tempering his body and practicing fist techniques.

Though he was still rough around the edges, he was beginning to look the part.

Meanwhile, Naruto had begun training in swordsmanship.

Holding the dark green Kyoka Suigetsu, he swung his sword again and again under Aizen's guidance.

"Slashing techniques are divided into Kendo and Zanjutsu. Kendo is the fighting technique of a Zanpakuto, shaping powerful spiritual strength through the tempering of the mind and will."

"Zanjutsu is similar to Iaido: one strike to kill, one strike to take a life. Zanjutsu can be honorable, or it can be despicable and shameless. It has only one purpose: to defeat the opponent. In other words, Zanjutsu is a killing technique that exists for battle."

Aizen's voice echoed through Naruto's mind.

In the world of Bleach, Captain Commander Yamamoto had once tried to teach Kenpachi Zaraki Kendo when he joined the squad. He hoped Kenpachi would replace his primitive, bloody fighting style with standardized combat techniques and the spirit of Kendo, hoping he would gain some understanding on a spiritual level.

Unfortunately, Kenpachi had no interest in learning it at all.

Looking at the history of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, Yhwach had once described the old squads as "Sword Devils," because their members used Zanjutsu rather than Kendo.

Only later, when Captain Commander Yamamoto and the first Kenpachi, Unohana, turned to practicing Kendo, did the outlook on life and worldview of the entire Thirteen Court Guard Squads begin to change.

Aizen understood the history of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads and scoffed at Kendo.

In his eyes, a Zanpakuto was a weapon for killing. The so-called spirit of Kendo was nothing but baggage in battle.

The current Thirteen Court Guard Squads were far too weak. To him, they posed no threat whatsoever.

"You decide for yourself. Will you learn Kendo or Zanjutsu?"

Aizen left the choice to Naruto.

"I choose Zanjutsu." As expected, Naruto chose Zanjutsu without hesitation.

Zanjutsu? I'm looking forward to the first time you kill someone. The first thing you will always face is fear and panic. Like flowers blooming on a cliff, we all stop at the edge rather than stepping fearlessly into the sky as flowers do. Once you successfully take that step, you will no longer be the Naruto Uzumaki you once were. Aizen's lips curved into a smile, his eyes full of amusement.

One year later. Year 53 of Konoha.

Today was also the day Rock Lee entered the Ninja Academy.

The afternoon before enrollment, Rock Lee dragged Naruto along and talked his ear off.

The general meaning was that he was nervous and hoped his ninja talent would be decent. He wanted to become a ninja outstanding in Taijutsu, yet not lacking in ninjutsu either.

He held great expectations for himself.

Naruto did not accompany Rock Lee to the Ninja Academy. He did not want Rock Lee to suffer cold stares because of him.

After offering Rock Lee his sincere blessings, he swiftly darted between the trees.

By gathering Reiatsu beneath his feet, he could increase his speed. This was also a basic application that had to be mastered before learning Shunpo.

Over the past year, Naruto had also gained a general understanding of the world of Bleach where Aizen resided.

In the worldview of Bleach, there were two concepts: Reiatsu and Reiryoku.

The higher a person's Reiatsu, the more Reiryoku they could wield.

Reiryoku was the primary substance that made up souls.

A qualified Bleach could use the Reiryoku within their body, releasing it to create Reiatsu. It could intimidate enemies, or solidify Reiryoku into various weapons or barriers.

Naruto's talent was quite good. Over the past year, he had already mastered the basic use of Reiatsu.

This greatly shocked Aizen.

For novice Bleach, nothing was more difficult than controlling Reiatsu.

Yet Naruto handled all of it perfectly.

Naturally, Naruto felt proud of this and was full of fantasies about his future ninja life.

"My talent as a Bleach is so outstanding, so my ninja talent surely won't be bad either. I'll become a ninja proficient in ninjutsu and a Bleach proficient in Kido."

Naruto returned home. He did not train today, because he was about to begin something extremely important in his life: Chakra extraction.

At five years old, Naruto could already begin cultivating Chakra. Third had also promised to send Naruto books on the subject when school began.

According to the Ninja Academy's rules, children who were six years old and possessed ninja talent could attend the Ninja Academy.

Naruto was still a year away from turning six, but he was already preparing to learn the relevant knowledge in advance.

Members of Konoha's major clans also began cultivating Chakra before enrollment. On one hand, their clans had the resources for it. On the other, they hoped their members would stand out after entering the academy and not tarnish the clan name.

Konoha's higher-ups had engaged in a fierce argument over Naruto cultivating Chakra.

The main characters were naturally Third and Danzo, those two best friends who loved and hated each other.

In Danzo's words: "Hand Naruto over to Root, and I can forge him into the most perfect Konoha weapon in history. He will become a presence that intimidates the other ninja villages."

Third, however, believed Naruto could perfectly inherit the Will of Fire. Letting him enter the Ninja Academy and form bonds with the other students was the correct choice.

After all, there was the successful example of Kushina Uzumaki. During her time at school, Kushina Uzumaki found true love, became one of Konoha's top combat forces, and even gave birth to Naruto Uzumaki.

This proved that Third's theory was feasible.

In the end, despite Danzo's reasoned arguments, Third once again brought out the Hokage argument, successfully leaving Danzo speechless. Danzo angrily flicked his sleeve and left.

"Since you had already made up your mind, why ask for my opinion?" Danzo's dissatisfaction with Third deepened, as did his desire for the position of Hokage.

But no matter what, Naruto was the biggest winner of this dispute.

He had gained the chance to study Chakra in advance.

Naruto sat on the bed in his room, holding Kyoka Suigetsu in both hands. Like a child about to receive his favorite toy, he waited excitedly.

Once he learned Chakra, would he be able to use ninjutsu?

How was Chakra used?

What was the difference between Chakra and Reiatsu?

His mind was filled with the desire to explore the unknown.

Knock, knock. Suddenly, someone knocked at the door. Naruto immediately ran over excitedly and opened it. There was no one outside, but two books lay on the cold stone steps.

"Thank you." Naruto gave the trees a slight nod, then carried the books back inside.

The door shut tightly once more, and the leaves rustled softly.