Within the Seireitei.
The Land of Demons had been officially renamed the Seireitei. At the same time, under the influence of the Reiatsu-rich environment, the vast majority of its citizens had successfully been converted into Wandering Souls. They could feel the changes in their bodies. Unlike humans, they no longer needed to eat or drink, only to absorb the vibrant energy from their surroundings each day.
At first, the physical changes had caused some unrest, but after a period of education, they gradually came to understand what had happened. Under the protection of their Divine Priestess and God-King, their bodies had evolved. They were now higher-level beings, qualified to cultivate Reiatsu. As long as they successfully joined the Seireitei's Shinigami squads, a path to greatness would open before them.
On the streets, countless Wandering Souls were bidding farewell to their families. A month ago, the Seireitei had opened the Shinigami Academy. Anyone who passed the assessment and met the admission requirements could enroll and begin their Reiatsu training. Successful graduates could then join the Shinigami squads.
Today was the day of enrollment, and the streets were filled with Wandering Souls. They said their goodbyes and then made their way toward the Shinigami Academy.
The academy was located within the Shinigami district of the Seireitei. Any Wandering Soul had to pass through extremely strict checkpoints before entering. The Seireitei had constructed a hundred-meter-high wall to separate the common areas from the Shinigami district. From identity verification to Reiatsu testing, and finally to enrollment confirmation, only after passing every step would an admission token be issued.
"Reiatsu level, qualified." The testing was proceeding in an orderly fashion. Each prospective student simply had to place their hand on a crystal ball, which would then display their corresponding Reiatsu level.
"I can't wait to see what the future holds!" one Wandering Soul exclaimed, his face flushed with excitement after passing the test and receiving his token.
Voom. The great gates to the Shinigami district slowly swung open. As he stepped through, he immediately felt the boiling, active spiritual particles in the air. The invigorating sensation caused the Reiatsu in his body to circulate, and he unconsciously began to absorb the abundant energy. The Shinigami district had been completely transformed into an environment suitable for Wandering Souls.
Following the signs, he walked deeper into the district, looking around with a curiosity that resembled a country boy visiting the city for the first time.
"Hey!! Isn't that Lord Haku, one of the Shinigami squad captains?" he suddenly exclaimed. His eyes had locked onto a handsome man with a gentle smile standing under a tree in a garden. He rushed forward excitedly.
"Captain Haku, I've admired you ever since the captain demonstration a month ago!! I joined the Shinigami Academy to follow in your footsteps!" he proclaimed, his voice filled with adoration.
A month prior, to give the Wandering Souls a better understanding of the Seireitei's power, Naruto had organized a combat demonstration featuring several Shinigami captains fighting against Hollows. This had given them a deeper appreciation for the Shinigami's unique fighting style. There had even been a battle between a Shinigami and an ordinary ninja, showcasing the Shinigami's skills in Kido, Shunpo, and Hakuda. From a practical standpoint, the Shinigami were not only a match for ninja but were in fact stronger. This had ignited a fervent admiration among the Wandering Souls, and the younger generation now all aspired to join the Seireitei.
"A new student?" Haku asked, looking at the zealous young man with a gentle smile.
"Yes!! Lord Haku! My name is Himura, and I hope to join your squad after I graduate!!" Himura shouted passionately.
"Then you'll have to work hard," Haku said with a smile, patting Himura's head. "I have high hopes for you."
"I will do my best!!" Himura's fighting spirit soared at the encouragement, and he shouted his promise to the heavens.
Haku watched him leave with a gentle look in his eyes. The Seireitei had developed rapidly over the past few months. Thanks to a series of initiatives by Naruto, its basic structure was now complete. The Shinigami squads, led by Naruto, were responsible for all aspects of the Seireitei's security.
There were currently four squads. The captains were Haku, Minato Namikaze, Orochimaru (provisional, not yet a full Shinigami), and Shion. Orochimaru was in charge of the research and development division. Minato was in charge of intelligence. Haku was in charge of healing and combat support. And Shion was in charge of the cleanup division.
The common areas outside the Shinigami district were patrolled by Shinigami teams led by the second and third seats of the squads, ensuring that any crime was dealt with swiftly. The Seireitei had also established a series of strict laws, and any Wandering Soul who broke them would be punished. In recent months, the crime rate in the Seireitei had been nearly zero, partly due to the people's faith in Naruto and Shion, and partly due to the sheer efficiency of the Shinigami squads, which left no room for evil to fester.
Beyond the known Seireitei, there existed Hueco Mundo—the former Pure Land—a place known only to the Shinigami captains. Its ruler was still Naruto, and it had a force similar to the Shinigami squads: the Kyojin, or Hollow Blades. There were currently three members: Shukaku, Kurama, and Zabuza. The Kyojin captains had almost no subordinates; their main duty was to defeat enemies or assist the Shinigami squads with extremely difficult missions.
Within the Pure Land, a massive white palace, Las Noches, stood amidst the endless yellow sand. The interior was magnificent, adorned with diamonds everywhere. A solitary throne sat at the highest point of the palace, while a few scattered tables and chairs were arranged below.
"Hey, hey, B site, B site! Rush B together, you bunch of noobs! Do you even know how to play?! Damn it! To think I have to play with you guys, I must have been cursed!!" Kurama yelled, sitting at one of the tables and staring intently at a computer screen.
"So bad! Damn it, you can't even beat bots! You're the worst teammates I've ever had!" Kurama slammed his fist on the table in a rage, then hastily used his Reiatsu to repair the nearly collapsing furniture.
"Hmph, you stupid fox, you're the one who's bad! You went 3-12 against bots! I'm not playing with you anymore. I'm going to go catch some Pokémon," Shukaku said with disgust, closing the game from his seat nearby.
"Hey, hey, hey! How does a 1-11 like you have the nerve to talk about me?!" Kurama leaped off his chair, pointing a finger at Shukaku and cursing.
"Nyah, nyah, nyah, stupid fox!!" Shukaku poked his head out and made a face.
"Damn you!!! Why did you have to come here, you stupid tanuki?!" Kurama's face contorted with rage.
"Hmph, if it weren't to comprehend my Bankai, this tanuki wouldn't have wanted to make such a long trip either," Shukaku said reluctantly. "But these computers are pretty interesting. I've decided to stay here for a while longer."
"Aren't you worried something will happen to that panda kid?" Kurama snorted. The ninja world was not peaceful at the moment. Although Shukaku didn't say it, Kurama could tell he cared about Gaara. The previous infiltration by the Akatsuki had already revealed a problem. Without Shukaku, Sunagakure could not fend off two Kage-level shinobi. After their previous failure, the Akatsuki's next attack would surely involve even stronger members. It was precisely because Shukaku realized this that he had come to the Pure Land to train. The spiritual particles here were more active, which was more conducive to his comprehension of Bankai.
"That Gaara kid may be a bit weak, but he's the Kazekage. He's not someone who'll be taken down so easily," Shukaku snorted.
Silence returned to Las Noches. Shukaku began his Reiatsu training, while Kurama remained engrossed in his game, the only sound in the vast palace being the clicking of a keyboard.
Outside, Zabuza was diligently practicing his swordsmanship. Swish. He caught the sound of footsteps in the swirling sand. He looked up to see two figures appearing in his line of sight.
"Adjuchas?" he raised an eyebrow, a look of surprise in his eyes.
"Hello. We wish to join Las Noches," the two Adjuchas said respectfully, stopping in front of Zabuza.
Zabuza was not surprised. He nodded, and with a swing of his Executioner's Blade, he kicked up a wall of sand at least three meters high. "Come on, both of you. Entertain me. Show me what you can do!"
Over the past few months, a number of Great Hollows had successfully evolved into Adjuchas. For them, Las Noches was a sacred land that all Hollows aspired to reach. But unlike the Shinigami squads, Las Noches only accepted captain-level powerhouses. Therefore, the difficulty of joining was extremely high. In the past three months, at least three Adjuchas had died at Zabuza's hands. For Las Noches, they only wanted the elite!
"In the blink of an eye, three months have passed," Naruto said, lounging on his throne in the main hall of the Seireitei, his expression calm. "It seems Orochimaru and Minato's work should be nearing completion."
"Orochimaru's physical body is nearing its limit. It's time for the Shinigami squads to welcome the captain of the research and development division," Naruto said softly, a smile playing at the corners of his eyes.
"You've worked hard during this time, Lord Naruto," Shion said, standing behind him and gently massaging his shoulders with her delicate hands.
"How is their training coming along?" Naruto asked, enjoying the massage with his eyes closed.
"That little girl Neri has recently become obsessed with dissecting Hollows. She's probably in Hueco Mundo right now. The Hollows run the moment they see her. She's already mastered her Shikai and definitely has captain-level strength, but she's stubborn and only wants to be the captain of the research division," Shion said with a sigh. It was common knowledge that Naruto held Orochimaru in high regard, and that position was reserved for him. But Aburame Neri refused to believe it and had her heart set on that one role.
"Karin has also mastered her Shikai, but her strength is only at the level of a second seat. She's currently serving as the vice-captain of Minato's squad, acting as captain in his absence."
"Little Lee's strength is already approaching the captain level. He's mastered his Shikai now. His Shikai... is very interesting," Shion said, her eyes curving into crescents as if recalling something amusing.
"Is that so? It seems the day the Seireitei reveals itself to the world is drawing near. All we need now is a catalyst," Naruto said, patting Shion's hand to signal her to stop. "Any movement from the Akatsuki?"
"The Akatsuki have been taking on small-scale black market missions and have tried to infiltrate the Seireitei, leading to a few minor clashes with us," Shion said with a disdainful expression. "It seems to be a guy with several hearts. He ran away after Haku destroyed a few of them."
"They are an organization of Kage-level missing-nin, after all. I'm quite looking forward to seeing what their goal is," Naruto chuckled. The Obito they had captured was a member of the Akatsuki. An organization that could recruit someone like him was certainly not simple. Naruto already had a guess as to their objective.
Just then, Naruto's mind stirred. He saw a white, spiritual-particle-based message streak through the air. He reached out and caught it in his hand. The next moment, a wave of memories and the latest intelligence flooded his mind. His expression then turned playful.
"There's trouble in Sunagakure."
"Inform Shukaku. The Akatsuki have made their move."
He stood up, and with a wave of his right hand, his Reiatsu spread out, sending several intelligence reports made of pure spiritual energy to his captains.
"The catalyst has arrived! The time for the Seireitei to reveal itself to the world is here!!!"
"It's time to make the entire ninja world feel the fear of being dominated."
He rose, and an endless torrent of Reiatsu erupted from his body. The very air above the Seireitei trembled. All the souls fell to their knees, their eyes filled with faith and adoration as they looked toward the palace.
"Our god! Our God-King of the Seireitei!!"
In the garden, Rock Lee, who was practicing his Shunpo, stopped and looked up, his eyes filled with excitement. "Is it finally starting? I really want to see the Konoha of today! I'll show everyone just how strong the current Rock Lee is!!"
In the laboratory, Aburame Neri paused as she felt the overwhelming Reiatsu, and the spirit insects within her body poured out. Her face flushed, and she pressed her legs together tightly. "Such Reiatsu, such a presence... I want to build a love nest inside Lord Naruto's body."
Outside the palace, Haku, who was admiring the scenery, had a change of expression. "As expected of Lord Naruto. Such Reiatsu completely crushes any thought of resistance. He already possesses the power to overturn the ninja world." He then said with admiration, "In the past, when Lord Naruto spoke of reorganizing the ninja world, reshaping the rules, and bringing peace, it was a grand ambition, but it seemed impossibly distant. But now, that ambition seems so easily achievable. With Lord Naruto, we have nothing to fear."
Within the Pure Land, Zabuza, the Adjuchas, Kurama, and Shukaku all stopped what they were doing. Feeling the overwhelming, boiling Reiatsu that could crush everything, their eyes were filled with awe. To make the powerhouses of both Hueco Mundo and the Seireitei submit, Naruto's strength was truly unfathomable.
"It seems the time has come," Kurama's voice trembled with excitement. "It's time to show the ninja world the power of the Tailed Beasts! In the past, we were humiliated. Now, we will follow Naruto and become the writers of the new rules!!"
The entire Seireitei began to boil with a fanaticism that brewed in the air above.
"Everyone," Naruto's magnetic voice echoed across the Seireitei. It was not loud, but it resonated in the heart of every Wandering Soul and every captain.
"The catalyst for the Seireitei's debut has arrived. From this day forward, we will make the entire ninja world feel fear."
"Invade the ninja world, reshape the rules."
"Before us, there are no enemies!"