Asauchi's Sensing, Mysterious Space

So this is how exhausting training really is.

After finishing his run, Naruto lay under a tree like a drowned rat, gasping for air.

His originally refined image was completely gone; now he was a total mess.

He hadn't fallen into a river—this was all his sweat.

Naruto had thought training meant learning various combat techniques, and with talent, picking them up would be twice the result with half the effort.

He never expected that building a solid foundation for training could only be piled up with time and physical exertion.

"Regretting it?" he asked himself in his mind.

"No, I have the resolve to get stronger." He shook his head, casting those tangled thoughts aside.

"The human physique is frail, but it's also malleable. Through training, they can possess infinite possibilities." Aizen watched Naruto's training quietly, his eyes flickering.

Among humans, there were those who could rival the Bleach in strength; they were called Quincy.

The essential difference between them and the Bleach was that the Bleach continuously elevated their Reiryoku through cultivation, while the Quincy could directly absorb Reishi from the outside world.

This meant that, aside from a few exceptionally gifted Bleach, most other Bleach improved their strength much slower than the Quincy.

This stirred jealousy among the Bleach, but that wasn't the main cause of the conflict.

The crux lay in their attitudes toward Hollows.

When a Bleach killed a Hollow, they merely purified its soul, allowing it to re-enter the cycle of reincarnation—since Bleach themselves originated from human souls.

In contrast, a Quincy would completely destroy a Hollow, annihilating its soul. Thus, the Quincy's actions disrupted the balance between Soul Society and the living world, leading to the extinction of the Bleach.

And so, war erupted between the two.

In the thousand-year bloodbath that followed, the Quincy were steadily pushed back, nearly wiped out as a clan.

In the present living world, a Quincy was almost nowhere to be seen.

Unlike those Bleach who loathed the Quincy, Aizen was filled with curiosity about them.

If both humans and Bleach had limits to their potential, then what about a fusion of human and Bleach?

It was for this reason that Aizen had recently brought about the birth of Ichigo Kurosaki, a boy with the bloodlines of both a Bleach and a Quincy.

Thinking of this, Aizen's heart swelled with anticipation—one was the offspring of a Bleach and a Quincy, and the other was a human wielding the powers of both a Bleach and a ninja.

He wondered just how much of a surprise they would give him.

"The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki has started training," an Anbu ninja reported Naruto's movements to the Third Hokage in real time.

"Training? Why would Naruto be thinking about training?" The Third Hokage frowned deeply, puffing hard on his pipe.

He took out his crystal ball and began monitoring Naruto's every move in real time.

In the crystal ball, Naruto was carrying a not-insignificant tree.

Dirt still clung to the roots of the tree, clearly just uprooted. It was about as tall as Naruto and weighed at least fifty pounds.

Seeing Naruto's strained expression as he struggled forward, the Third Hokage's eyebrows twitched wildly.

"It looks like I need to do something."

Naruto had initially thought this kind of self-destructive training would damage his body, but strangely, after one night, his sore body had fully recovered, and he was as lively as ever.

"My recovery is abnormal," Naruto thought to himself.

With this assurance, he continued his high-intensity training.

At first, he was a bit resistant, but training was like lifting weights—the more it ached, the more it hurt, and eventually, he grew to love that feeling of pushing his body to its limits.

Then, one night, the Third Hokage arrived unannounced.

"Naruto, how have you been? I forgot to give you your living expenses last time I came." The Third Hokage placed a stack of bills on Naruto's table.

"Third Hokage Grandpa, this is way too much." Naruto counted it briefly, his face lighting up with surprise.

This time, his living expenses were at least fifty percent more than usual. This month, he could afford slightly better ingredients.

"Consider the extra part as Grandpa's pocket money for you." The Third Hokage winked at Naruto. Both of them had their own hidden agendas, sharing a knowing smile.

Third Hokage: So easy to manipulate.

Naruto: Heh.

Just then, the Third Hokage pretended to notice Naruto's fatigue and asked with concern, "Naruto, why do you look so tired?"

"I've been training these past few days, so I'm pretty drained," Naruto replied, going along with the conversation.

The two then followed this topic further.

"Why did you start training?"

"Because only by getting stronger can I become Hokage. I want to have the power to protect everyone."

Hearing Naruto's textbook answer, the Third Hokage was moved, taking a few deep drags from his pipe. But he quickly remembered Naruto was still a child, so he set the pipe down and said with some emotion, "Naruto, you've really grown up."

"Maybe it's the environment. Because I crave recognition, I think a lot." Naruto's mood dipped for a moment, but he quickly lifted his head, flashing a warm, sunny smile. "I believe I can become Hokage."

"If there's anything you need, just say the word." The Third Hokage gave his promise.

Naruto took the opportunity to raise his request to learn swordsmanship and Chakra.

"You're already four years old, right at the age to start refining Chakra. I'll have Anbu send you the basic texts. But why are you thinking about learning swordsmanship?"

Shinobi excelled at using Kunai and ninjutsu.

Those who wielded blades were few and far between.

"The other day, I read about White Fang in Chronicles of Konoha Heroes. I think if one's swordsmanship reaches the pinnacle, it can play a decisive role in battle." Naruto answered promptly, having prepared for this.

"Why swordsmanship specifically? As long as ninjutsu is used properly, it's just as lethal. Besides, mastering the blade takes an enormous amount of time."

"Honestly, I think swordsmanship looks really cool. I want to give it a try." Naruto scratched his head sheepishly.

Kids this age really did want to be both cool and strong.

The Third remembered having similar thoughts when he was young.

He'd seen flashy attack styles and wanted to learn them, but gave up after trying.

He was sure Naruto would give up soon too.

So the Third readily agreed to Naruto's request.

After the Third left, Naruto closed the door, pulled out the Asauchi from under his bed.

Black, unremarkable, the Asauchi's surface gleamed with a cold light, like a blade eager to taste blood.

"An Asauchi is the form a Zanpakuto takes before awakening. It only awakens when a Bleach and their Zanpakuto Spirit communicate and bond." Aizen spoke up at this moment.

"Zanpakuto Spirit? What's that?" Naruto looked confused.

"Awaken a Zanpakuto?"

Naruto stroked the Asauchi, feeling a faint connection form with it in his heart.

This feeling was...

Naruto's eyes widened. That heart-to-heart, soul-stirring sensation was so familiar.

Suddenly, a wave of intense fatigue washed over him. His eyelids grew heavy. Clutching the Asauchi, he leaned against the bed and sank into a deep sleep.