Darkness.
Absolute darkness surrounded Naruto.
In the distance, a faint flame flickered—
and in the next instant, his consciousness snapped awake.
He found himself standing inside a vast, magnificent palace.
At the far end, elevated high above everything else, stood an exquisite throne—
alone, solemn, and radiating an overwhelming sense of loneliness and desolation.
"Where… is this?" Naruto muttered, utterly confused.
In the past, whenever he fell asleep, his consciousness would enter the Sealing Space.
But this place was completely unfamiliar.
Why do I keep running into things like this…?
Naruto couldn't help complaining inwardly.
"You've finally arrived," a deep, ethereal voice echoed throughout the palace.
"I've been waiting for you for a very long time."
As the voice faded, a human figure emerged beside the throne.
The man wore a long black robe with a hood pulled low.
His face was hidden in shadow, impossible to see clearly.
He stood straight beside the throne—and strangely, his posture was one of reverence.
Is this some kind of genjutsu?
A chill crept up Naruto's spine.
Since he had begun cultivating, maybe the Third Hokage had grown wary and sent someone to test him with illusions.
It was very possible.
I can't let anything slip.
Keeping his guard up, Naruto spoke first.
"Um… excuse me. Where is this place?"
"This is your kingdom."
The moment the words fell, the once-dead palace surged with life.
The space trembled, starlight spreading outward until a dazzling star-filled sky covered everything.
Naruto's vision blurred.
In the next instant, the shadowed figure appeared directly beside him—
close, elegant, respectful.
Naruto immediately stepped back, eyes locked onto the figure's face.
Strangely, even at such close range, the shadows refused to part.
No matter how he looked, he couldn't make out the man's true appearance.
"Who are you?" Naruto asked.
Yet—somehow—he felt a strange familiarity.
This wasn't genjutsu.
Nor was it a test arranged by the Third Hokage.
For reasons he couldn't explain, Naruto was absolutely certain of it.
The shadowed figure bowed deeply to him.
"I am the deepest power within your heart," the man said softly.
"The strength you yearn for.
The most loyal and reliable ally on your path to the clouds."
"Power…?" Naruto hesitated.
"Power as great as Mr. Aizen's?"
The moment Aizen's name left his mouth, the shadowed figure trembled.
Its tone carried unmistakable disappointment.
"Aizen… so to you, his power truly is great."
A faint murmur echoed through the palace.
"It seems… the time is not yet right."
Then the voice grew firm.
"Remember this well—
I am the only one you can truly trust."
"I will be the sharpest blade in your hand,
cutting down every obstacle that stands in your way."
"You may call me—"
The whisper faded.
Naruto's consciousness blurred, the figure before him growing farther and farther away.
Just as darkness swallowed his vision completely, one final phrase rang clearly in his ears:
"Kyōka Suigetsu."
—
Naruto jolted awake.
He was back inside his house, the candlelight flickering softly as his expression shifted again and again.
"What… just happened?"
"Kyōka… Suigetsu?"
He held his head in confusion as the sword slipped from his arms and clattered onto the floor.
The blade was dark green—smooth, sharp, and flawless.
This was no longer the original asauchi.
Naruto stared at the transformed zanpakutō in shock.
An unprecedented sensation surged through him.
At the same time, a mysterious phrase surfaced in his mind—clear and absolute:
"Shatter… Kyōka Suigetsu."
—
Early the next morning, Naruto woke groggily.
Half-asleep, his hand brushed against the zanpakutō resting beside his pillow.
The icy hilt jolted him fully awake.
He sat up abruptly, wide-eyed.
"Kyōka Suigetsu…" he murmured, rubbing his aching temples.
After his soul sword awakened yesterday, the exhaustion had overwhelmed him, and he had fallen asleep almost instantly.
This time, he hadn't entered the Sealing Space at all.
When he woke again, it was already morning.
"Mr. Aizen," Naruto said softly, holding up the dark green zanpakutō, "yesterday my consciousness entered a strange space… and I was told my zanpakutō's name."
"You've already achieved Shikai?"
Sosuke Aizen's voice was filled with disbelief.
Shikai was the first stage of a zanpakutō's release.
Once Shikai was achieved, the zanpakutō would manifest a unique ability.
For an average Shinigami, mastering Shikai took at least ten years.
As for Bankai—the second stage—it was something most Shinigami could never reach.
"I… think so," Naruto answered uncertainly.
"It's called Kyōka Suigetsu."
"Kyōka Suigetsu?!"
Aizen's pupils shrank violently.
Then—silence.
No matter how Naruto tried to call out to him, there was no response.
—
Within the Sealing Space, Aizen covered his face with one hand.
A strange smile slowly curled across his lips.
"Just as I suspected… Naruto can wield my power."
"I didn't even notice it. My spiritual pressure hasn't changed, and my body is completely normal."
"Is this… a replication?"
A low laugh echoed through the darkness.
"This just became interesting."
—
After washing up, Naruto prepared himself a hearty breakfast.
Two fried eggs.
A piece of dry bread.
With his current training intensity, nutrition was essential.
After eating, Naruto headed straight for Konoha's weapons shop.
He needed a blade—and weights.
"Hello, sir," Naruto said politely after entering.
"I'd like to commission a dark green sword, and also some training weights."
The shop was bustling with activity, apprentices hammering away nonstop.
The shirtless blacksmith looked up, wiped the sweat from his soot-covered arms, and frowned as he examined the sketch Naruto handed over.
"Oh—right. This is the weapons purchase permit my Third Grandpa gave me."
Naruto pulled a license from his pocket.
In Konoha, civilians couldn't freely purchase weapons without authorization.
The blacksmith studied the sketch for a moment.
Konoha ninja weapons were usually standardized—kunai, shuriken, explosive tags.
Very few commissioned swords.
Why would a child order something like this?
The blacksmith glanced at Naruto, curiosity flickering in his eyes—but he asked nothing.
Respecting a client's privacy was basic professionalism.
"No problem," he said at last.
"Come back in three days. Deposit first."
Naruto nodded. "Thank you."
As he left, the blacksmith stared at the sketch again, muttering to himself.
"This sword's ridiculously long… and twenty kilograms of weight? Can a kid really handle that?"
Then realization struck him.
"…What am I thinking? He's the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. Of course he's different."
—
At the training grounds, Naruto began jogging along the perimeter.
The rush of adrenaline, the thrill of pushing past his limits—
it was addictive.
From dawn until noon, an exhausted Naruto collapsed beneath a tree, drenched in sweat and gasping for air.
"Rustle—rustle—"
The bushes nearby stirred.
"Who's there?" Naruto called out sharply.
A figure stepped forward.
A young man with thick eyebrows and an unmistakably intense presence.
Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly.
It was Might Guy.
—
Let's discuss:
What do you think the power comparison looks like between the Hokage level and the Bleach world's Shinigami?