State of War

Soul Society.

As the name implies, it is the world of souls after death, one of the primary destinations for human souls once they pass away in the living world.

It is not a paradise in the traditional sense, but rather a massive, socially structured settlement for souls. It contains both the wealthy and prosperous region known as [Seireitei] and the impoverished, chaotic areas known as [Rukon District].

"--However, the Rukon District is not entirely chaotic and poor. It is divided into four major sectors—East, West, South, and North—with each sector further subdivided into districts 1 through 80. The lower the number, the better the public order, the more abundant the resources, and the closer it is to Seireitei."

"Why are you rambling so much, old man?" the square-faced man laughed. "He'll understand these things in time. For now, he just needs to know that he's dead."

"Show some gentleness! The kid is still just a child! You jerk!"

The man called the old man is Kenta Ishikawa, the person in charge of this part of the Rukon District. Rumor has it that he has connections within Seireitei.

Ishikawa picked up his folding fan and smacked the square-faced man right on the forehead. The man didn't seem annoyed; he just chuckled and walked away. He had a date with the old man's daughter, after all, and he planned to pay him back for this hit later.

Unaware that his own backyard was already on fire, Ishikawa snorted, turned his head toward the dazed Naruto, and softened his tone.

"How about it? Anything else you don't understand?"

"...I think I get the gist of it."

Naruto struggled to pull himself together, swallowing hard.

He couldn't be blamed for his reaction. One second he was within the Hyuga clan, and the next, he had arrived in Soul Society... What kind of insane situation was this? Naruto had certainly watched Bleach at the movie theater and recognized the name, but he never expected that, just like the Ninja World, the world of [Bleach] was actually real! And he had somehow ended up here?

So, did Hinata's consciousness come here too? Is that why she remains unconscious?

[Hey... brat, did you catch all that?] the Nine-Tails asked, equally stunned. [What is this guy talking about? We're dead? Aren't we just Shadow Clones?]

"We definitely aren't dead... maybe you can think of it as us and him existing as souls...?" Naruto said, feeling uncertain.

[Souls? Aren't we made of chakra?]

"Chakra can exist in the form of a soul, too. Have you forgotten how Asura and Indra reincarnated?"

Naruto recalled the reincarnated chakra within him, Dan Katō's Spirit Transformation Technique, the Sage of Six Paths who appeared during the final battle against Kaguya, and how Obito had revived the Mangekyō Sharingan within Kakashi... He realized then that the nature of chakra was far more complex than he had previously understood; it wasn't just about releasing ninjutsu.

"I really haven't read enough, and my research has been too shallow..."

Naruto realized his own shortcomings once again. He couldn't help but think of the benchmark for science in the Ninja World, Orochimaru. His mind stirred, but now was not the time to dwell on such things.

"I understand, you must be very confused right now." Seeing Naruto's silence, Ishikawa couldn't help but show a hint of pity. "To die at such a young age... you must have suffered a great deal in your previous life."

He patted Naruto on the shoulder. "But it's okay now. All souls who arrive here lose their memories of their past lives, so you can consider Soul Society a brand-new start."

"...Yeah." Naruto nodded. Regardless, he had to blend in and gather more information... at the very least, he needed to figure out what point in the Bleach timeline this was.

"So, what should I do now?" He quickly adopted the role of a "child" and asked the most natural question.

"Ah, right, right, look at me forgetting," Ishikawa slapped his forehead. "Come with me first. The Gotei 13 happens to be in our Rukon District for recruitment today. If you pass the assessment, you can join the Shino Academy to study. This is an incredibly rare opportunity. If it weren't for the wartime state and the push for total mobilization, we in the Rukon District would never have such a chance."

???

What do you mean by wartime state and total mobilization?

Naruto, who had been struggling to recall the plot of Bleach, was suddenly filled with question marks. Even though his knowledge of Bleach wasn't exhaustive... he shouldn't be completely blank on such major keywords, right?

"I'll explain the concepts of the Gotei 13 after the assessment ends." Misinterpreting Naruto's expression, Ishikawa grabbed his hand. "Let's go. Just know that this is an opportunity the Rukon District hasn't seen in a thousand years. You don't need to do anything for the assessment; just show up. Trying hard won't help—your natural spiritual pressure has already decided everything!"

"Wait!"

Dragged toward the end of the street by Ishikawa, Naruto hurriedly asked, "I understand the 'wartime state' part, but what's going on? Is Soul Society fighting someone?"

"We in the Rukon District don't really know the details; the Gotei 13 handles those things directly," Ishikawa said. "But I heard from my daughter's letters that two other worlds have invaded the living world, so to protect the balance, Soul Society has to fight back?"

????

What are you talking about?

The same question marks that filled the Nine-Tails' mind appeared in Naruto's. Beyond the shock, he keenly realized that the anomalies in this world—deviating from the original story—were just like those in the Ninja World.

Could it be?

A flash of insight struck Naruto like lightning. Recalling Kakashi's mention of "fighting a guy covered in flowing magma...", a shocking hypothesis emerged in his mind. Before he could dwell on it, Ishikawa dropped another piece of information that made his scalp tingle.

"Oh, right. When we get to the assessment site, you'll see a group of people wearing black Shihakusho and carrying long swords. Remember, be extremely respectful to them; do not be rude." Ishikawa cautioned. "But you're really lucky. The squad coming to our East District 22 today is the 5th Division. They are the most amiable squad in the Gotei 13."

"And Captain Aizen is leading the team himself today. He is the most gentle and kind Shinigami I have ever met. He's a great guy, so don't be too nervous or stiff. Just take it easy."

"...Huh? Me?"

Naruto finally reached his breaking point, taking several seconds to digest this reality.

A great guy, just take it easy... take it easy my foot.

He forced a bitter smile.

Are you telling me that the "most gentle and kind Shinigami" you speak of is the mastermind behind the thousand-year conspiracy in Seireitei, the master of Kyōka Suigetsu, the creator of Las Noches, the ruler of Hueco Mundo, the executioner of the Central 46, the perfect fusion of the Hōgyoku, Aizen Sosuke?

That's just great. I'm doomed.

So, I've just "been born" in Soul Society as an undocumented immigrant, and not only do I have to face the most oppressive boss in this world immediately... but I also have to find a way to hide it from his eyes?

Damn it... I'm only twelve years old.