He found himself in darkness.
A fire flickered to life in the distance. Naruto jolted awake, only to discover that he was standing inside a magnificent palace.
An exquisite throne stood alone atop the raised platform at the far end of the hall.
The atmosphere was filled with loneliness and desolation.
Where was this?
Naruto was completely bewildered.
Whenever he had fallen asleep before, he would arrive in the Sealing Space. Why had he ended up somewhere unfamiliar this time?
Why did strange things like this always happen to me?
Naruto could not help but complain inwardly.
"You've finally come. I've been waiting for you for a long time." At that moment, an ethereal yet heavy voice echoed through the space. Then, a humanoid figure shrouded in darkness appeared beside the throne.
The man wore a black robe and a hood.
His face was hidden in shadow, making his features impossible to discern.
He stood straight beside the throne, and somehow seemed rather respectful.
Could this be a ninja's Genjutsu?
Naruto's heart tightened.
Perhaps Third was worried because he had begun training, so he had sent someone to test him with Genjutsu?
That was very possible.
He could not let his guard down.
The cautious Naruto spoke first:
"Hello. May I ask where this is?"
"This is your kingdom." As soon as he spoke, the lifeless palace burst with vitality. The entire space began to surge as specks of starlight spread out, painting a dazzling starry sky.
Just as Naruto stared in amazement, his vision suddenly blurred.
The next moment, the shadowy figure appeared at his side, elegant and respectful.
Naruto warily took a step back.
His gaze remained fixed on the figure's face.
Strangely, even from such close range, the figure's face was still obscured by shadows, and his true appearance could not be seen.
"Who are you?" Naruto felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity from the shadowy figure.
This was not Genjutsu, nor was it Third's test.
For some reason, he suddenly believed that with absolute certainty.
Upon hearing Naruto's question, the shadowy figure bowed respectfully to him.
"I am the deepest power within your heart, as well as the power you desire. I am your most loyal and dependable aid on your path to the clouds."
"Power? Power as strong as Mr. Aizen's?" Naruto asked.
As soon as he said that, Naruto saw the shadowy figure tremble, his tone filled with disappointment.
"Aizen? So to you, his power is what counts as strong."
"It seems the time has not yet come." The figure's murmurs echoed through the space, rustling faintly.
"Remember this: I am the only one you can trust. I will become the sharpest blade in your hand and shatter every obstacle before you."
"You may call me—"
As he listened to the whisper by his ear, Naruto's consciousness gradually blurred. The man in his vision grew farther and farther away, and his voice became impossible to make out.
Just before his consciousness sank into darkness, a sentence rang clearly in his ears.
"Kyoka Suigetsu."
When Naruto woke again, he was already back in his room. Candlelight flickered, casting shifting shadows across his uncertain expression.
"What... was that just now?"
"Kyoka Suigetsu?"
He rubbed his aching head in confusion as the Asauchi beside him slid onto the floor.
The blade was dark green, smooth, and sharp.
This was not the original Asauchi!
Naruto stared in astonishment as he gripped the transformed Zanpakuto.
A feeling unlike anything he had ever experienced welled up in his heart.
An enigmatic Shikai activation phrase surfaced in his mind: "Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu."
The next morning, Naruto woke from his sleep. Still groggy, he felt the Zanpakuto beside his pillow—Kyoka Suigetsu.
The icy hilt jolted him awake, and he climbed up without a trace of sleepiness left.
"Kyoka Suigetsu." He murmured the Zanpakuto's name, rubbing his temples in pain.
After the Zanpakuto had awakened yesterday, he had felt utterly exhausted and quickly fallen asleep.
This time, he had not gone to the Sealing Space. When he woke again, it was already morning.
"Mr. Aizen, yesterday my consciousness entered an unknown space, where I was told the name of my Zanpakuto." Naruto raised the dark green Zanpakuto, trying to communicate with Aizen.
"You have already mastered the Shikai activation phrase?" Aizen's tone was full of doubt.
Shikai was the first stage of a Zanpakuto's release.
A Zanpakuto released through Shikai would possess a unique ability.
An ordinary Bleach needed at least ten years to master Shikai. As for the second stage, Bankai, it was a realm ordinary Bleach could never reach.
"I think so." Naruto said uncertainly, "I think it's called Kyoka Suigetsu?"
"Kyoka Suigetsu?!" Aizen's pupils shook. Then he fell silent, giving no response no matter how Naruto called for him.
Inside the Sealing Space, Aizen covered his face with his right hand, and an eerie curve suddenly formed at the corner of his mouth.
"Just as I thought. Naruto can use my power. I did not even notice any of this. My Reiatsu remains unchanged, and there is nothing abnormal with my body. Could this be replication?"
A low laugh echoed through the Sealing Space.
"This suddenly became interesting."
After washing up, Naruto prepared himself a hearty breakfast.
Two fried eggs and a piece of dry bread.
Since he was going to train, he urgently needed to replenish his nutrition.
After finishing breakfast, Naruto left the house and headed for Konoha's weapon shop.
He needed to forge a sword and some weights.
"Hello, sir. I need a dark green sword forged, along with some weights." Naruto said gently as he entered the weapon shop.
The weapon shop was bustling with activity, its apprentices all working hard at their forging.
The blacksmith looked up. Bare-chested, he wiped away his sweat with a soot-blackened palm, then frowned as he accepted the sketch Naruto had drawn.
"Oh, right. This is the weapon purchase permit Third gave me." Naruto pulled a permit from his clothes.
Civilians in Konoha could not freely purchase weapons. They needed a permit.
"These items..." The blacksmith silently studied the sketch, pondering slightly.
Konoha ninja weapons were mostly the same—Shuriken, kunai, Explosive Tags, and the like. Very few ninja commissioned swords or blades, and those were not particularly difficult to make.
But why was Naruto buying such things at such a young age?
The blacksmith gave Naruto an inquisitive glance but did not ask any questions, merely nodding.
Not prying into a customer's secrets was a basic professional principle.
"No problem. Come pick them up in three days. Pay the deposit first."
He was in business, and there was no reason to refuse Naruto's lucrative commission.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
After leaving the weapon shop, Naruto headed toward the training grounds.
The blacksmith stared blankly at the sketch and muttered, "That sword is so long. Strange, why is he ordering twenty kilograms of weights? Can someone so young really handle that?"
A moment later, he slapped his forehead in sudden realization. "What am I thinking? He's the Nine-Tails Fox Demon. He must be different from ordinary people."
After arriving at the training grounds, Naruto began jogging around them.
Every surge of adrenaline, every thrill of pushing beyond his limits, was so addicting.
From dawn until the sun stood high overhead at noon, the exhausted Naruto sat beneath a tree, drenched in sweat and gasping for breath.
"Rustle, rustle, rustle." Suddenly, sounds came from the surrounding bushes.
"Who's there?" At Naruto's sharp shout, a thick-browed boy stepped out.
Let's discuss this—what do you all think the power scaling between the Naruto and Bleach worlds is like?
Before you continue