Naruto summoned a rabbit and tossed it to Unohana Retsu.
"This is what the rabbit becomes once its sealed power is released," he said, his tone cold and almost cruel. "Now that Vice-Captain Kuchiki has reached this extent, using a rabbit for experiments might not be suitable."
"If you ask me,"
He turned his head to look at Naruto. "Why not use souls for experiments instead?"
"How can such weak and powerless creatures possibly compare to humans?"
The reactions in the room were mixed.
Unohana Retsu's expression remained unchanged.
Byakuya Kuchiki frowned slightly.
Kyoraku Shunsui and Naruto's gazes sharpened immediately.
"If you dare to do that, I'll cut you down," Naruto narrowed his eyes at him. "Captain Mayuri, don't say things that could be dangerous for you."
Mayuri Kurotsuchi clicked his tongue and turned his head away, avoiding Naruto's gaze.
He knew his proposal would be rejected but couldn't resist voicing it.
"Thank you for your concern, Captain Mayuri," a gentle voice of Kotsuba Jinryūemon interrupted, "But I'm not precious enough to let others sacrifice for me, and this doesn't endanger my life."
Mayuri's thoughts shifted. "And what about the body Tōsen wants?"
"Captain Uzumaki, might as well bring it out. He's already dead and guilty, so putting his waste to use should be fine."
Naruto reached out and summoned a scroll without hesitation.
Using the corpse of the deceased to heal the living held no moral reservations for him.
Mayuri's eyes gleamed with greed as he extended his hand.
Naruto evaded him, instead handing the scroll to Unohana Retsu.
"For me?" Unohana Retsu expressed surprise.
Mayuri exaggeratedly remarked, "Oh my, oh my, Captain Uzumaki, I'm the researcher here!"
"Such a precious item, and I'm not allowed to study it."
"Do you trust me so little?"
Naruto gazed coldly at him, "If we were on the battlefield, I'd be entirely confident entrusting my back to you."
"But in the realm of research, if you're not restrained, you're someone who doesn't know the meaning of control at all."
Mayuri Kurotsuchi was an exceedingly fanatical person. His fervor and drive for research nearly surpassed any "scientist" Naruto had ever come across, leaving him without moral boundaries. To achieve his goals, he'd stop at nothing.
For nearly two years now, he had consistently probed Naruto.
Every time he was warned, he would somewhat restrain himself, but it wouldn't be long before his true nature was revealed again.
The only difference was in the scale of his actions and whether they were overt or covert.
Were it not for being unable to overpower Naruto and the suppression from Head Captain Yamamoto, he might have attempted kidnapping by now.
Naruto turned his head to Unohana Retsu and spoke in a gentle tone, "Captain Unohana, I entrust the body Tōsen Kaname demanded to your care."
"If Captain Mayuri wishes to conduct his research, please accommodate him whenever you have the time."
Unohana looked at Mayuri and smiled faintly, "Naruto really trusts me."
"Rest assured, Captain Mayuri will behave," she assured.
Mayuri was about to retort, but, feeling the keen edge beneath Unohana's soft words, he tilted his head aside. "Fine," he thought, "let it be."
Though under someone else's control, he considered it quite an achievement to gain Naruto's approval to research Tōsen Kaname's body.
They busied themselves.
Disassembling the Four Symbols Seal, pondering over the life form of a "Jinchūriki."
Naruto lent a hand.
Until nightfall, Naruto invited them to drink. The Kuchiki clan sent Byakuya to represent them. With Kuchiki Ginrei having to retire early, Byakuya, as Ginrei's "grandson," would soon surpass his "father" to succeed his "grandfather" as the head of the Kuchiki family.
Now that Ginrei was already advanced in years, he could continue as a captain for several more decades, waiting until Byakuya truly mastered Bankai before he too retired.
Mayuri was absent.
He disliked drinking with Naruto.
Every sip from the blond always had to be thoroughly inspected.
If this keeps happening, I'll end up beating myself up.
Although I'm indeed trying every possible way to steal the data on Captain Uzumaki's body, can't this person just trust me a little more?
Inside the izakaya.
After a few cups of sake, Shunsui Kyōraku clapped Byakuya Kuchiki on the shoulder. "Though you'll be the vice-captain in the future, don't always keep such a stern face. You shouldn't bear so much on your own shoulders."
"I am the heir of the Kuchiki clan," Byakuya Kuchiki shook his head firmly, "I must set a proper example."
I cannot fall short compared to my father.
Nor can I act like a natural counterexample—the people of the Kōmyō family.
Shunsui Kyōraku sighed.
He could easily persuade Naruto, but when it came to Byakuya Kuchiki, it wasn't his place to meddle.
So he just turned his head, "Naruto, I heard your Bankai training isn't going well?"
Unohana Retsu also glanced over.
"It's not going too smoothly," Naruto nodded, his expression calm. "There are some minor issues."
"Need my help?" Shunsui Kyōraku offered.
Shunsui Kyōraku put down his cup in a teasing manner, "If our cute junior encounters a problem he can't solve, I'd be more than willing to step in, okay?"
"Even though I'm a boy," Naruto chuckled.
Shunsui Kyōraku sighed and gestured to the bartender for two more bottles of good sake. For Naruto's words, he was ready for a spree.
Unohana Retsu said gently, "Naruto-kun's progress is indeed a bit unusual."
With Naruto's talent, it shouldn't take this long without even a hint of manifestation.
Even though
the sword known as "Nine-Tails" isn't Naruto's own inner strength.
Naruto shook his head, "Thank you for your concern, Captain Unohana and Uncle Shunsui."
"But this is something I must resolve myself, and I just need a bit more time."
Shunsui Kyōraku relaxed his brow, "As long as you're confident in handling it yourself."
He was somewhat worried, wondering if there was another change inside Naruto's body.
However, Naruto wasn't the type to keep things to himself; if he needed help, he would have said so when asked. This indicated it wasn't a significant issue.
After speaking, he stood up and called over Rangiku Matsumoto and Isshin Shiba from a short distance away.
As long as it's not a problem, let's relax and enjoy some drinks.
Sosuke Aizen was a very cautious person. Ever since meeting Naruto, he hadn't exposed any openings.
His behavior hadn't changed; he remained the same gentle Captain of the Fifth Squad.
He seemed to have laid low.
In the ten years that followed, there were no more mysterious disappearances of souls or Shinigami in the Rukongai.
It seemed like the warning had worked.
Yet, Naruto couldn't shake the feeling that Sosuke Aizen was planning something else.
The guy's eyes had the deepest, most intense gleam of anyone he'd ever met.
It was impossible for him to be frightened into inaction by a warning alone.
Naruto observed him carefully without letting it affect his own life.
The 'Hollow' sealed within Kuchiki Gangchun had still not been extracted in this time, not due to a lack of research into 'liberation techniques.'
Unohana Retsu and Kurotsuchi Mayuri had confirmed that the Four Symbols Seal merged both life forces, requiring many factors to be considered before separating them.
One factor was the duration of the seal; the newer it was, the less the life forces had fused, making them easier to separate.
The strength of the sealed force was another consideration.
If it was stronger than the jinchūriki's own power, it would be harder to separate; conversely, if it was weaker, separation would be easier.
Rabbits were indeed not ideal test subjects.
Switching to larger animals like wild boars and black bears quickly yielded necessary conditions.
The 'Hollow' inside Kuchiki Gangchun wasn't particularly powerful; it was on par with a vice-captain's level.
However, the problem was...
Kuchiki Gangchun himself was weak, and cutting the life force would irreparably damage it.
The honor of the Kuchiki family was important.
The life of one person is still crucial.
Ginrei Kuchiki made the final decision, confirming that Kuchiki Gangchun would not need to extract the "Hollow" within him.
The research objective shifted to exploring how to coexist with the Hollow's power.
This is exactly what Naruto needs most.
For over forty years, the Nine-Tails has been sealed within him, their life forces long intertwined, making separation nearly impossible.
The feasibility of completely undoing the seal without harming them is now quite low.
Even if it could succeed, who knows how much time would be needed.
Thus, before that, it becomes urgent to find a way to temporarily release the Nine-Tails, even if just for a short time.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi is an eccentric person.
He thought that if cutting wasn't possible, why not transform the power of "Hollowification" back into the power of a "Shinigami"?
Over the past decade, he developed an art that can temporarily extract the power inside without affecting the life force of the "Jinchuriki."
Of course, his original intention was to extract the Hollow's power and attempt to modify it.
Yet, this art certainly came to Naruto's great aid.
In the inner world, the Nine-Tails observed Naruto as he penned down the art formula, nodding thoughtfully: "Though I don't understand it, that guy truly is impressive."
"To achieve something like this."
Naruto sat astride, smiling with a nod: "Once we're back in the Shinobi world, we can test to see how far this art can go."
"Don't rush, a few years will pass quite quickly."
The Nine-Tails bared its teeth: "That guy Aizen is truly annoying."
Though, as a mere "energy being," its lifespan is nearly limitless.
A few years is not too long to wait.
Yet.
What a despicable guy.
Naruto was about to speak, when his senses tingled abruptly, pulling him out of the inner world.
Returning to reality, he slowly opened his eyes.
Captain Jushiro Ukitake of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads entered the room with an anxious expression, led by Shinpachi Shinra.
(End of Chapter)