Naruto looked thoughtfully at Kotsuba Jinryūemon.
"We haven't forced him to release his Shikai."
Does this mean that person also possesses a Zanpakuto?
"Did you check his background? Is he from the Shin'o Academy?" Naruto took broad strides out the door.
Kotsuba Jinryūemon followed closely behind, "It's confirmed, he has never studied at the Shin'o Academy."
Naruto fell silent.
Not having come from the Shin'o Academy, yet possessing a Zanpakuto.
Such individuals are rare but not unheard of.
Despite the academy's repeated reminders to safeguard their Asauchi, some careless students inevitably lose their swords. Although it doesn't happen every year, it occurs often enough to give the dean of Wo Academy a headache.
After becoming a Death God, the likelihood of losing one's Asauchi increases.
Executing missions, dying outside—these scenarios are commonplace among ordinary squad members.
Those who didn't enter the Shin'o Academy and yet hold a Zanpakuto got their swords through such fortuitous circumstances.
The ninth squad has a ready example of this.
The individual Naruto has been watching, "Kaname Tōsen," originally inherited his sword from someone else, suffusing it with his own inner strength to awaken its Shikai.
The two of them used Shunpo to travel swiftly.
As they neared the "Seiryū Gate," an oppressive, rampant spiritual pressure lay heavy across the space.
Even before seeing the person, a raucous, unrestrained laugh reached their ears.
"Is there no stronger opponent?"
"This level is not thrilling enough."
"Send out someone worthy to fight me!"
Kotsuba Jinryūemon's face turned pale.
Such arrogance!
Naruto used Shunpo, halting atop a nearby wall, casting his gaze upon the source of the voice.
It was a man with spiky hair, a menacing scar running from his forehead to his chin over his left eye.
On his back clung a small pink-haired girl, innocent and adorable.
In the vicinity of this man.
All around lay defeated Soul Reapers, most of them from the Seventh Division's seated officers, along with a massive figure, a guardian of the "Jinryūemon." They had all been struck down.
Yet, the intruder bore not a single scratch.
Between Seireitei and Rukongai, there lies an "invisible wall." Should anyone unauthorized attempt to breach it, this wall descends from the skies, accompanied by guards from all directions.
The guardians of the Seireimon are not "Soul Reapers."
They are heroes meticulously selected from the Soul Society.
Though they possess no "Zanpakuto," and cannot unleash their inner power, their abilities rival high-ranking officers, and some can even challenge a vice-captain.
But despite this array of high-ranking officers, none could injure him.
"Hmm?" He was incredibly perceptive, noticing Naruto almost upon his arrival and turned his gaze towards him.
"A white haori."
"So you're one of those so-called captains they mentioned!"
"Looks like just a kid."
Naruto placed his hand on the sword hilt, his tone still relatively calm, "Intruder, state your purpose."
His own squad members had been struck down but were not in immediate danger of death.
The spiky-haired man raised his blade.
It was an extraordinarily peculiar sword.
The hilt was nearly as long as an arm, with a jagged, uneven blade akin to a saw.
A Zanpakuto that appeared as though it had been shattered.
A pink-haired little girl shunpo'd away, landing on another wall top, "Go for it, Ken-chan! This little blond sun is a strong one!"
The squad members of the Seventh Division surrounded them.
But.
Though she seemed small and young, the spiritual pressure she emitted reached the level of a "vice-captain," making it difficult for the regular squad members to draw near.
The man grinned sinisterly, "I am Zaraki!"
"They say the strongest Soul Reaper is called Kenpachi."
"Well, I guess from now on, I'll call myself Zaraki Kenpachi."
"I'm here to find more interesting opponents."
"My purpose is, of course, battle!"
With his words, spiritual pressure exploded, surging towards the sky as if made tangible.
Oppression, palpitation, tremor.
The ordinary soldiers who were a bit too close dropped to the ground instantly. Under such power, even though it was not aimed at them, they had no right to stand.
Weak ones could only kneel before the strong.
Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly.
A fierce spiritual pressure blew past, setting his hair into motion.
This spiritual pressure had already reached the level of a captain.
Moreover, the name of this person...
"Kenpachi?"
This name held a very special meaning within the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.
It signified "The Strongest Swordsman in the Soul Society."
Only the captain of the Eleventh Division bore this "name."
Had he come for the Eleventh Division?
He mused over it.
Zaraki Kenpachi slightly bent his body. Without any elaborate flash step techniques, he relied solely on his bodily instincts, bursting a vast amount of spiritual pressure from his feet in an instant, propelling his body high into the air.
Raising the blade in his hand, he slashed down with all his might.
Naruto drew his sword to counter.
Blades crossed paths, sparks flew.
In several rounds, as their blades neared, Zaraki Kenpachi's face lit up with even more excitement: "Not bad! Even though you look like a kid…"
"You're quite strong!"
"But why only use one sword when you have two?"
Naruto remained silent, his expression serious.
This guy was strong!
Only after the exchange did he clearly feel that this person's spiritual might was beyond just "Third Class"; it had reached a "Second Class" level.
His fighting style was as wild as his spiritual pressure.
Swinging his sword, there was no set pattern, a completely wild style, yet this "wild style" was incredibly troublesome, with hardly any openings to exploit. Even if there were, Zaraki Kenpachi didn't seem to care in the slightest.
Even when injured, even when the "Nine-Tails" slashed at his chest, he simply joyfully delivered another strike.
This was not a tactic of "injury for injury."
He was relishing in the sensation of "being wounded by the enemy" while "wounding the enemy himself."
Like a wild beast, this man fought.
"Jinryūemon." Naruto's gaze was locked onto him, but his words were directed at his vice-captain not far away.
Kotsuba Jinryūemon stood upright, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Go ahead with the request. I intend to begin my release." Naruto spoke softly.
Kotsuba Jinryūemon nodded in agreement and vanished with a flash step.
Suddenly, Zaraki Kenpachi released his hold, no longer swinging his sword, standing aside but still brimming with fighting spirit.
"Not fighting anymore?" Naruto was taken aback, puzzled by what this could mean.
"Aren't you going to make a request?" Zaraki Kenpachi grinned. Although his face was less than pleasant, his grin was fierce. "You'll be stronger after the release, won't you?"
"Things are alright now, but they aren't interesting enough yet."
"I'm looking forward to a stronger opponent."
The raw, honest emotion relayed by the Kagura Mind-Eye couldn't be denied.
Naruto shook his head, raising his left hand to the hilt of "Ashura," and smiled slightly, "No, I sent Jinryūemon for the request because I don't want to put someone I respect in a difficult position."
"No need to waste time waiting for the inevitable result."
He drew his sword and chanted the release incantation.
"Wail with fury, moan with lament, whirl in wrath, Nine-Tails Ashura!"
Golden light, six arms.
In full Nine-Tails transformation, Naruto's spiritual pressure surged like a mountain collapsing, bearing down on the man opposite him.
His spiritual power had now reached "Second Class."
With Ashura's amplification, its intensity was in no way inferior to Zaraki Kenpachi's.
The opponent's growing strength only served to excite the spiky-haired man even more.
"That's more like it!" He raised his sword and charged once more.
Swords clashed wildly, clanging with metallic resonance.
"Do you only have two swords?" Zaraki Kenpachi questioned.
Naruto queried back.
"Shouldn't six arms wield six swords?" His fighting grew more unrestrained, eagerly yearning for an even stronger opponent.
Naruto responded, "You have two arms, don't you only wield one sword?"
"And besides, not every arm is only useful for holding a sword."
"But, aren't you going to release?"
Zaraki Kenpachi shook his head, "Release, like you?"
"I don't care for these fancy techniques. My sword is merely a tool for fighting. As long as I can swing it to strike down my enemy, that's all I need!"
He laughed, his expression more wild and open.
Naruto stood in solemn opposition.
In terms of swordsmanship, he was slightly inferior to this man.
This wasn't just someone relying on 'battle instincts;' he could almost be described as 'battle itself.'
It was Naruto's use of kido and binding techniques that allowed him to maintain balance against Zaraki.
Moreover, this man called 'Zaraki Kenpachi'
gave him a very peculiar feeling.
During the fight, Zaraki's spiritual pressure continually surged higher.
It wasn't growth, it was release.
It was as if the power within him was suppressed by something, and in every clash of blades, a small gate was opened, flowing like a stream, like a river, unceasingly.
He was someone who was incredibly devout to battle.
Naruto found a certain enjoyment in fighting him.
Though they were enemies, there was no sense of 'malice.'
And his spiritual pressure's growth resonated within Naruto, stirring the seed enveloped by Asura within him, making it eager to sprout, vibrant and full of life, accumulating power more intensely.
The more they fought, the sharper their moves became.
Blow for blow, they clashed fiercely.
Zaraki wasn't afraid of getting hurt; seeing his own blood only excited him more.
Naruto, too, lacked fear of injury.
His natural healing ability allowed him to divert one or two hands, healing himself mid-battle using his regeneration techniques.
They had exchanged blows countless times.
The ripples of their battle had decimated nearby buildings.
The squad members had long retreated to a safer distance.
Those initially knocked unconscious were also evacuated by the members of Squad Four.
Zaraki panted heavily; besides his face, it was hard to find a spot on him unscarred.
Naruto fared a little better; though his spiritual pressure was depleted, he had few wounds, and the remaining ones slowly healed with his constitution and healing techniques.
Deep within his soul, that mysterious seed still hasn't sprouted.
However, compared to before, within the embrace of the "Asura"'s power, it now subtly exudes a faint, independent aura.
(End of Chapter)