Shinigami in the Ninja World

Evolve?

Naruto lowered his gaze, focusing on the "Hōgyoku" covered in seals. Through his senses, he could feel its peculiar energy radiating, reinforcing Aizen, just as Aizen had claimed.

His soul was being restructured.

But was this truly evolution?

"How peculiar." A beam of light, as thick as an arm, pierced through Aizen's shoulder. Following the attack came a cold, mocking voice from Kisuke Urahara: "Look at you now."

Aizen staggered slightly, turning his head. "Couldn't resist anymore, could you, Kisuke Urahara?"

"Well, it can't be helped. Evolution is always ugly."

Urahara tilted his head, stepping aside as he cast a binding spell. "I didn't say you looked ugly."

"I just didn't expect…"

"You've fused with the Hōgyoku, huh?"

Aizen smiled faintly. "Please don't use the term 'fusion.' 'Submission' would be more appropriate. The Hōgyoku, which you couldn't control, now obeys me."

Urahara raised both hands, forming the same Four-Symbol Seal that Naruto had used. "Does it really matter anymore?"

"Gaining the power of the Hōgyoku and defeating the Captain-Commander has made you overconfident, Aizen."

Aizen chuckled. "You're right."

"I did get overconfident."

"But this…"

With a slight twist of his body, the binding spells wrapped around him shattered in an instant. The "cage" splintered and fell apart.

The changes brought on by the Hōgyoku were now visible. His body was half-covered by a white, mask-like substance.

"And what of it?" Aizen waved his hand, sending a massive, condensed wave of spiritual pressure toward Naruto and Urahara, like a blade.

Naruto reached out, grabbing the spiritual energy.

It continued to overflow, carrying with it immense pressure, leaving deep wounds on Naruto's palm.

Urahara was slightly slower to react. He attempted to cast a defensive Kidō, but before he could raise his hand, the attack slashed across his body, sending blood spraying over a meter high.

"Let me indulge my carelessness," Aizen smiled, his expression filled with contempt and arrogance. "There's no longer any need for caution."

"After making the Hōgyoku submit under Naruto's pressure, I can now feel it—my body far surpasses the one I had back in Soul Society."

"No one can threaten me now."

Urahara clutched his wound, pressing his other hand against his hat. "No, when I said you were overconfident, I meant…"

"Look at your hands."

Aizen glanced down. "What is this…"

"All Shinigami have a spiritual pressure release point on their wrists." Urahara's voice was calm. "The seal is weak, but effective."

"You'll end up just like…"

Before he could finish, a massive surge of spiritual pressure erupted from Aizen's body.

"…like that Fire Extinguisher Arrancar," Urahara concluded, his words striking the air with finality.

Blinding light filled the battlefield, a powerful windstorm following in its wake, pushing everything back.

"Is it over?" Ichigo Kurosaki muttered from a distance.

Urahara shook his head. "No, it's not over yet."

Naruto stared into the light. Almost instantly after the explosion, Aizen's spiritual pressure changed—calmer, quieter than before.

But…

It didn't seem like he was injured.

The light faded, revealing Aizen's new form.

Humanoid, yet stripped of any human features.

His entire body was encased in a mask-like material, covering him from head to toe. The burst of spiritual energy that had just erupted left him completely unscathed, not even a trace of charred blackness on him.

"How dangerous." Aizen's face, now also covered by a mask, left only his eyes visible. "Whether it's Naruto-kun's sealing techniques…"

"Or your strategies, Kisuke Urahara..."

"If I weren't your opponent..."

"If the Hōgyoku hadn't already submitted to me..."

"This battle might have already ended."

"But Urahara, your creation of the Hōgyoku far exceeds even your imagination."

He reached out, pulling off the seals Urahara had placed on his wrists.

"We no longer exist on the same plane."

Urahara's face grew somber as he drew his Zanpakutō.

"When spells don't work, you're resorting to brute force now?" Aizen's voice dripped with mockery. "Come, try me."

Red spiritual energy surged.

"Scream, Benihime!"

A red slash, similar to Ichigo's Getsuga Tenshō, streaked toward Aizen.

Aizen sidestepped and gently pointed his finger.

A small spark of light, barely the size of a pea, emerged. Though minuscule compared to Benihime's attack, it consumed the entire wave of energy, obliterating it.

However, hidden within the slash was a chain, which coiled around Aizen's body, binding him.

From above—

A fierce gust of wind descended.

It was Yoruichi Shihōin, her arms and legs covered in strange steel armor.

With the momentum of her fall, she stomped hard on Aizen's face.

"How's that?" Yoruichi whispered, her spiritual pressure calming on her shoulders. "That should…"

Naruto immediately called out, "Step back!"

"Yoruichi-san…" Urahara hadn't even finished calling her name.

Yoruichi's eyes widened, and she moved to retreat.

But a surge of energy beneath her sent her flying, shattering the armor on her legs into pieces.

"Even after taking that hit from you, only your gear was destroyed." Aizen looked at Yoruichi's feet, his eyes cold. "You brought some good equipment."

"But it's not interesting enough."

"Is there more?"

His body, centered around the Hōgyoku, was covered in web-like cracks.

Yoruichi's attack had worked.

It proved that his "armor" could be broken.

But Aizen seemed oblivious to this. The fact that the outer layer of his body had shattered didn't seem to concern him in the least. He raised his sword, his tone both expectant and arrogant. "Do you have anything more to show me?"

"Let me see how seriously you take me."

"If not..."

"If I can defeat one of you with a single slash…"

"Then, with just three slashes—"

Before he could finish, Naruto flashed forward, thrusting his sword.

Clang!

Aizen blocked the strike, his face showing mild irritation.

With two whistling sounds, golden chains shot toward Aizen's shoulders, striking him.

But...

They caused no damage and were deflected.

"Naruto-kun, are you getting impatient?" Aizen laughed. "Bring out your real strength. This weakness—"

He wasn't met with a verbal retort.

Instead, he saw a golden flash.

Naruto had disappeared.

"Spatial transfer?" Aizen mused softly, surprised. "That technique you used on Ichigo Kurosaki that day?"

As he spoke, Naruto appeared behind him.

A small, translucent blue sphere formed in his palm, swirling with energy.

Rasengan.

In the Garganta above, Kurama emerged just in time to witness the scene, his eyes following the blond figure, a hint of nostalgia in his expression.

It was nearly the same stance.

The trademark technique of the "Yellow Flash."

The Rasengan smashed into the cracks on Aizen's back, sending white fragments flying as the "armor" broke apart.

Aizen swung his blade backward, but another golden flash marked Naruto's disappearance as he reappeared beside Kurama in the sky.

"You've developed a technique similar to Sonído." Aizen praised, "Naruto-kun, you always seem to possess abilities that break the conventions of a Shinigami."

"I'd love to study you in detail."

Naruto extended his hand, Kurama joining him as a surge of golden energy flowed into his body. "Will you even have that chance?"

"The evolution you speak of seems to amount to little more than tougher skin."

Aizen raised his hand, covering his face. "Tough skin?"

"Naruto-kun, perhaps you've misunderstood something."

"Have you ever observed a Hell Butterfly?"

"In its larval stage, it is a weak worm that spins silk, forming a cocoon before it transforms into a Hell Butterfly."

"To evolve to a higher form, I must undergo a similar process of metamorphosis."

"What you've broken is merely…"

"…my cocoon."

"Are you proud of shattering it?"

Cocoon?

Aizen applied slight pressure to his mask, shattering it to reveal his original, unscathed face. His eyes remained dark. "See? Just like that."

"The cocoon is just one phase of my metamorphosis."

He looked up at the sky. "The captains from Hueco Mundo have returned as well."

Kenpachi Zaraki raised his sword.

Byakuya Kuchiki grasped Senbonzakura. "Surrender, Aizen. You no longer have any chance of victory."

"You're basing that judgment on a numerical advantage?" Aizen lifted his blade. "What can ants do to an elephant?"

"A few more swords just mean a few more slashes."

At that moment, Gin Ichimaru appeared in a flash step, positioning himself in front of Aizen. "I've been waiting for an opening, and it's finally here."

His hand touched Aizen's sword.

Turning back with a sly grin, he spoke softly, "Even though these guys pose no real threat to you, let me, as your subordinate, handle them."

"Otherwise…"

"When I look back, my contributions might end up being the smallest."

Aizen smiled. "No, Gin. Even misleading Naruto-kun once is already your greatest achievement."

"But now, choose the opponent you like best."

"Byakuya Kuchiki or—"

Before he could finish, Gin suddenly raised his hand, and with lightning speed, his short sword pierced through Aizen's chest.

The unexpected turn of events left everyone shocked.

What's going on?

Only Naruto, his eyes deep and knowing, wasn't surprised.

Gin had always harbored hatred for Aizen. Was this the moment he had finally seized his chance?

Aizen's expression remained calm.

Gin squinted his eyes further, grinning. "The only way to break Kyōka Suigetsu's complete hypnosis is to touch the blade before it activates."

Aizen smiled.

"To obtain that information, it took me a long time." Gin continued, "Naruto-kun is a good person. At times, I wondered if I should entrust my revenge to him."

"But…"

"Only by ending this myself can it truly be called revenge!"

With a flick of his wrist, Gin retracted his sword.

Aizen's smile widened. "I knew all along."

"I've always understood your true intentions, Gin."

"I've known from the very beginning. That's why I kept you by my side—to see how you planned to kill me."

He paused briefly, shaking his head. "But this method…"

"Truly disappoints me, Gin."

"You even aimed for the wrong spot. The chest is hardly more fatal than the heart."

Gin raised his short sword. "But would stabbing you in the heart kill you, Aizen?"

He waved his weapon. "Look at this."

His other hand pointed to the blade. "Right here, there's a small crack."

In the center of the blade was an almost imperceptible notch, as thin as a strand of hair, as though it had chipped during a strike.

"Earlier, I left that part inside Aizen-sama's body." Gin's voice was soft.

Aizen narrowed his eyes.

"You're not the only one who can keep secrets." Gin continued, "You once asked me what my Bankai was."

"Sorry, I lied."

"Shinso's ability isn't just to extend in length; in the brief moment of its extension, it turns to dust."

"And... the inside of the blade releases a deadly poison that dissolves cells."

Naruto instinctively turned his head toward the battlefield where the lieutenants were fighting, his eyes catching sight of the golden-haired Rangiku Matsumoto.

Her Zanpakutō, Haineko, also turned to dust after release.

Their abilities were eerily similar.

"Looks like you figured it out." Gin smiled mischievously, using his familiar tone. "At the exact moment Shinso turned to dust, I left that missing piece inside Aizen-sama's body."

"Feel the pain now."

"If you have any last words, say them quickly."

"But…"

"When it's time to die, words don't matter."

He raised his blade, pointing it at Aizen. "After working together for so long, even though I've hated you, Aizen-sama, I can't help but feel something."

"What you've always desired…"

With a swift motion, he drove the blade into Aizen's chest once more. Gin twisted his wrist, carving out a large chunk of flesh surrounding the Hōgyoku.

"To die with a hole in your chest, isn't that what you wanted?"

He spoke these words, grabbing hold of the Hōgyoku, his eyes widening with resolve.

If he could claim the Hōgyoku…

Everything would end, even his revenge.

But at that moment, an immense surge of spiritual pressure erupted from Aizen.

"How painful." Aizen's voice was soft. "But unfortunately, Gin, you still underestimated me."

"You prepared so much."

"Yet I've won this battle."

He raised his hand, slicing it through the air.

Clang!

His blade struck a spiritual barrier, a golden flash as Naruto seized Gin's arm, pulling him away before "flying" to Urahara's side.

"Gin…" Aizen tilted his head as if realizing something. "Was it during that day at Central 46?"

"But it doesn't matter."

Naruto grasped the Hōgyoku in Gin's hand, placing it in the palm of his sword hand, the one holding Ashura, and clenched his fist. "You no longer possess the Hōgyoku."

Aizen laughed loudly. "Do you think that just because you've taken it out of my body, it no longer belongs to me?"