Kuchiki Ginrei gazed in the direction from which the golden chains originated.
The few remaining Shinigami also looked on.
In the night, amidst the thick fog, a head of golden hair shone brightly.
The vivid color infused strength into their hearts, allowing them to relax and feel at ease.
It was the Captain of the Seventh Division, Naruto Uzumaki!
Behind him stood two other captains, each with distinct features.
One had the head of a dog, identifying him as the Captain of the Ninth Division.
The other wore glasses, marking him as the Captain of the Fifth Division.
All three had solemn expressions as they stared at the Shinigami bound by golden chains.
"Is this Hollowfication?" Komamura Zajin scrutinized the twisted substances of bone-colored liquid, speaking gravely, "Such a sinister thing."
Naruto frowned.
The changes in this person were somewhat different from what he had seen in Hirako Shinji's state, appearing to be more violent.
The bone liquid hadn't solidified; it was savagely tearing at the Shinigami's body and mind. Before Naruto could act, the "Hollowfication" completely devoured his life, and at that instant, the bone liquid also vanished.
"How long has he been in this state?" Naruto asked, looking at the corpse.
Kuchiki Ginrei shook his head, "No, this change just emerged."
He paused briefly, his voice hurried, "Be careful!"
"There is an enemy hidden here, imperceptible and unseen!"
"Members of the Sixth Squad experienced this 'Hollowfication' after being injured by that enemy."
"Moreover, he's still here!"
Naruto's eyes sharpened instantly, "Are you sure?"
"Nagazawa from the Fifth Seat has not Hollowfied," Ginrei affirmed. "Previously, squad members transformed within two to three minutes post-injury, and he was just attacked!"
Before he finished speaking, Naruto had already moved.
"Adamantine Chains."
Golden chains burst forth from behind him, dozens in number, sweeping in all directions.
The enemy was "invisible," not "intangible."
Naruto and the Nine-Tails, a man and a fox, focused with all their might, their senses almost enveloping an entire mountain. Yet they could still discern the subtle differences every time their attacks hit something.
"Where is that enemy?" wondered Naruto, turning his head abruptly.
To his left front, the golden chains curved in a bizarre arc, which should have pierced straight through the air but were now halted by something invisible.
"So, it's this hidden figure," Naruto muttered.
Drawing his blade, he dashed forward in a flash step and shouted, "Komamura Zajin, take the Members of the Sixth Squad back. I've located him."
Spiritual pressure surged, disturbing the air currents.
Naruto sliced downward fiercely.
The invisible figure raised a sword to intercept.
Sparks flickered as the blades clashed.
"Not showing yourself? I already know who you are, you skulking figure," Naruto growled, barely pausing as he reversed his grip with his other hand, drawing another sword, and thrust up at a sharp angle towards the chest.
With a clang, the attack was easily intercepted, suggesting that the concealed figure possessed considerable swordsmanship skills.
Questioning him seemed effective. The hidden person flickered and was revealed in full view.
"It is you, after all." Naruto narrowed his eyes at the tall, dark-skinned man wearing goggles that masked his eyes.
Komamura Zajin, who had not yet fully left, turned his head and was shocked to see who it was.
How could it be this person?
It was the current Vice Captain of the Ninth Squad, Tōsen Kaname.
Tōsen Kaname remained silent, merely raising his hand with a slight wave.
Immediately, several black apertures opened in the sky.
Countless Hollows flew out from them.
Just like the "Soul Burial Training" from back then.
Naruto gritted his teeth, the rage that had been simmering inside him for more than a decade exploded in that moment as he continued to swing his blade.
However, this attack ended in vain because the blade cut through mere illusions.
The figure before him was a fake.
Naruto turned his head and shouted a warning to the others, "Be careful, he's over by you now!"
Komamura Zajin immediately drew his sword.
Aizen also stepped forward, shielding the squad members behind him.
But just then—
a sword pierced gently through Kuchiki Ginrei's body.
Bone-colored liquid gushed from the wound, swarming towards his face in a dense wave.
Komamura swung his sword, striking at the person who had suddenly appeared in the midst of the crowd.
He was striking at... a friend.
"Tōsen, how could it be you?" His voice was tinged with sorrow, suppressing his anger and disbelief, "How could you do such a thing?"
Naruto's pupils dilated.
How could he move so fast?
Even Yoruichi's Shunpo couldn't be this silent.
To bypass the guards of two captains so easily?
But this was not the time to ponder these questions.
"Four Symbols Seal!"
The incantation flowed from Naruto's fingertips, enveloping and sealing the Hollow's power.
The previous hypothesis was correct.
The Four Symbols Seal indeed suppressed the Hollow's power.
As the seal gradually stabilized, the bone-colored slime receded from Ginrei's face, and his breathing steadied.
Aizen watched Naruto's hand and the densely intricate incantation, his glasses reflecting the moonlight, hiding his eyes.
Naruto looked up.
Tōsen Kaname raised his blade, deflecting Komamura's strike with a calm demeanor, mirroring the expression he'd worn before.
His voice was firm as he spoke, "Of course, it's for justice, Captain Komamura."
Kagura's mind detected the truth in his words—it was a genuine statement.
"Justice?" Naruto's voice rose in pitch.
Tōsen looked down, following the sound, "Ah, Captain Uzumaki, the one hailed as the little sun."
"Everything I do is for the sake of justice."
The giant dog lifted his sword once more.
"Leave him to me." Naruto quietly intervened, halting Komamura Zajin's actions, "His blade seems to carry some kind of virus; any hit can cause Hollowfication."
"You two aren't easy to deal with. Handle the other Hollows instead."
"I will."
"Take him alive back to the Seireitei, and uncover those conspiracies."
Komamura Zajin remained silent, casting a sorrowful glance at his friend. He then flashed away, along with the other Shinigami, including Aizen, leaving space for the two of them to battle.
"Will you stand on the side of injustice, Captain Uzumaki?" Kaname Tōsen spoke.
Naruto handed Kuchiki Ginchun over to a seated officer of the Seventh Division.
"The Soul Society is a filthy place." Kaname Tōsen continued speaking softly, "Seireitei is the foulest part of the Soul Society."
"You've been investigating me recently."
"Then you must know of my past?"
Naruto's gaze shifted to Tōsen's blade, "Is it the story of the previous owner of this sword?"
"So, you do know." Tōsen's voice quivered slightly, "The previous owner of this sword, my friend."
"She died not long after marrying into the Kammiyashiro family, killed by her husband."
"He murdered a colleague over a minor quarrel, and even his wife was slain for accusing him."
"My friend was a truly good person."
"She was more eager for peace than anyone, and possessed a stronger sense of justice than anyone."
"Yet she died under the weight of injustice."
"And the true culprit faced barely any punishment."
"He was acquitted."
Kaname Tōsen's emotions surged dramatically, his spiritual pressure rising and falling like waves.
"That is why I chose this path."
"If justice is not enough, then let me become justice itself."
"Captain Uzumaki, you should be able to discern the truth in words, shouldn't you?"
Naruto squinted, examining him.
"Then you must know, everything I've said is the absolute truth." Tōsen extended his hand, "My heart has always walked alongside justice."
"Such a corrupt place is truly unworthy of someone like you."
"Join me as my companion on this path."
"Let's become justice together, and eliminate all the evils of the world like dispersing clouds."
Naruto spoke calmly, "Is that your reason for doing such things?"
"It's simply ridiculous."
Kaname Tōsen withdrew his hand, his voice heavy, "Even someone like you chooses to side with the Seireitei in the end?"
"Do you want to shield such evil as well?"
Naruto placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, "It's not that I want to shelter darkness. It's just... You aren't justice either."
"What makes your actions any different from their evil?"
Kaname Tōsen shouted furiously, "Then what do you want me to do?"
"Forgive those who killed my dear friend?"
"Yes, that is indeed a good deed, a virtue."
"But is goodness the same as justice?"
"Isn't it?"
"To not avenge the dead and yet live peacefully,"
"Isn't that a sin!"
Naruto's voice remained calm, "I don't think you have to let go of your hatred, nor do I wish to stop your revenge. I understand your thoughts very well."
"It's because of love that hatred is born."
"But..."
"You could seek revenge on the one who killed your dear friend. If your strength isn't enough, hone it!"
"Even if you find your power lacking, and thus research 'Hollow' power, that's something understandable!"
"But why target Captain Hirako and Captain Kotsuba?"
"Do you see them as evil too?"
"To sacrifice innocent people for your own desires."
"Can such actions still be called justice?"
Kaname Tōsen whispered, "They were just casualties on my path to gaining power."
Naruto drew his sword, disgust in his tone, "Such disregard for the innocent."
"How ugly, Kaname Tōsen!"
(End of Chapter)