Shinigami. Hollows. Quincy.
These were the three power systems that Yuki Yoru had already begun to implement across the shinobi world.
All three drew power from Reiryoku—spiritual power—but each fought in drastically different ways.
The Shinigami, with their Zanpakutō and soul-based transformations, were strongest in terms of explosive power.
The Hollows, twisted souls who grew by devouring one another, were the most violent and savage. If properly controlled, they would become the sharpest blade in Yoru's hand.
And then there were the Quincy—currently Yoru's greatest source of power.
Though weaker than Hollows and Shinigami in raw strength, the Quincy used a unique system that allowed living beings to directly manipulate spiritual particles. They lacked the monstrous bodies of Hollows and the soul-derived Zanpakutō of Shinigami, but—
As the largest and most widespread military force under Yoru, the Soul King always gave them special privileges and blessings.
Yes.
Out of the tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of Quincy that served under him, there existed an elite group handpicked by Yoru to form the vanguard of his empire.
The Sternritter—the Star Cross Knights.
Each Sternritter members was granted a special divine gift: a Schrift, a "Holy Letter," which embodied the unique power bestowed upon them by Yoru.
And among these Sternritter members, a select few, the most outstanding, will be chosen by Yoru to become the Soul King's Royal Guard.
Kimimaro Kaguya is one of them, and currently, he is the Commader of the Divine Forgiveness Royal Guard!
At present, only Yuki Yoru, the Soul King, and the world's first Quincy sage—Miruko the Shadow Sage—could be said to surpass him in strength among the Quincy.
"The power Lord Yoru gave me is called [Miracle]."
"The fact that someone like me—worthless and broken—could become clan head, could offer my life to Lord Yoru... that itself is a miracle."
Once again impaled by Wood Release spikes, Kimimaro reformed moments later, unscathed. His tone, usually calm, now carried a rare hint of emotion.
"The power of Miracle is infinite. It represents all possible outcomes in this world. Any harm done to me—injury, disaster, hardship, limitation—any negative state will be reversed, turned into strength. I only grow stronger!"
"Hirenkyaku (Flying Bamboo-Blind Slide)!"
"Shikotsumyaku – Dance of the Larch!"
Kimimaro's body vanished with the high-speed Quincy movement technique, reappearing directly in front of Obito.
With a bone blade that had already been empowered by countless converted debuffs, Kimimaro launched a rapid series of stabs. His physique, enhanced repeatedly by Miracle, made the strikes blindingly fast.
Obito blocked with his black chakra rods, trying to counterattack—but Kimimaro appeared behind him in a flash.
Bone spikes erupted from his body and the ground simultaneously.
Splat!
Blood splattered everywhere.
Obito's body was pierced repeatedly by bone spikes, puncturing him like a pincushion.
He staggered back, but Kimimaro followed relentlessly.
The bone spear in Kimimaro's hand now glowed with a radiant blue aura—condensed Reishi locked into the weapon's structure.
"Heilig Pfeil (Holy Arrow)!"
Kimimaro brought the attack down.
Obito barely twisted his head in time. The strike shattered his spiral-patterned mask and left a gash along his neck.
Ssshhh...
White Zetsu cells quickly began repairing the damage. But under the broken mask, Obito's face was revealed—twisted and grim.
"Miracle… this 'power to reverse everything'…! How can such a thing exist?!"
"You damn brat, I'll—"
"Dance—Dance of the Seedling Fern."
Crack! Crack! Crack! CRACKCRACKCRACK—!
Kimimaro's cold voice silenced Obito's furious rant.
From the center of his body, massive bone spikes erupted and spread in all directions, forming an expanding white forest of razor-sharp spears.
The countless particle blocks of the Kamui dimension were completely filled and then shattered and collapsed by the wildly growing bone forest.
The sharp bone spikes pierced through a stunned Obito Uchiha, directly turning the entire battlefield into Kimimaro Kaguya's domain!
"What in the world is that kid..."
Outside, Black Zetsu, who was controlling the Hollows in battle against the Shinigami, his expression slightly changed.
He had been monitoring Obito's battle from the outside and had assumed that once Kimimaro was dragged into Kamui, he'd be helpless—a fish on the chopping board.
But what happened inside was completely beyond his expectations.
To turn all negative states into positive ones, and use that power to grow infinitely stronger—
Such a power shouldn't exist. It violated the rules of reality itself!
"Shikai—!"
"Ten Thousand Forbidden Seal!"
A cold voice rang out across the battlefield.
A terrifying Reiatsu exploded into the sky. Golden light erupted from a figure with flowing red hair.
In front of her, a humanoid Adjuchas Hollow had just puffed up its cheeks, preparing to unleash a devastating sonic attack—only to suddenly be ensnared in chains made of tightly compressed spirit particles, like diamond shackles.
The Hollow's mouth opened wide—but no sound escaped.
The Adjuchas was somewhat at a loss, but years of fighting and killing in Hueco Mundo made it instantly realize that the red-haired Shinigami was the culprit behind all this.
Before it could act, a flash of blonde hair streaked across the sky.
A pale, slender hand curled into a fist—and smashed into the Hollow's mask.
BOOM!!
The ruined street exploded into a cloud of debris.
"You're amazing, Lady Tsunade!"
Kushina's eyes sparkled as she looked at the golden-haired kunoichi with admiration and awe.
To this generation of shinobi, the legend of the Sannin still loomed large.
And among them, Tsunade was the idol of female shinobi everywhere—especially to Kushina, who had a deep personal bond with her.
"Your support is what made that easy, Kushina."
"If it weren't for you, this guy's attack, if unleashed, would probably cause considerable damage and trouble."
"Hehe, I just provide support. It's still Lady Tsunade, one punch per Hollow. Even among so many captains, Tsunade-sama, your strength is top-notch."
"Don't flatter me. They're all monsters. No one's weak in the Gotei 13."
"Come on, there's one more Hollow over there."
"Yes, Lady Tsunade!"
They vanished from sight.
In the shadows, Black Zetsu remained silent.
He had known about Tsunade joining Soul Society ever since the end of the Third Shinobi War. She had spent time with Yuki Yoru in the Land of Hot Springs and had eventually pursued him all the way to Kirigakure.
He had once thought she was there to avenge Jiraiya.
But he never expected her to join the enemy's side.
And that red-haired woman—Kushina Uzumaki—was none other than the former Nine-Tails Jinchūriki!
"So during the Nine-Tails Incident, they took Kushina's soul... and transform her as a Shinigami?"
Black Zetsu sank into the earth, eyes narrowed.
This trip to Kirigakure had yielded far too much intel.
Now he truly understood what kind of monstrous army Yuki Yoru had gathered under his command.
...
"Damn bastard!"
The space behind Black Zetsu twisted—
Obito emerged, battered and panting, half his mask destroyed.
Looking around at the chaos engulfing Kirigakure, he slowly calmed himself.
"The plan failed," he muttered grimly.
"That kid is one of Yoru's trump cards. He possess a forbidden power."
"Forbidden power?" Black Zetsu feigned ignorance.
"'Schrift'... a special power Yuki Yoru specifically bestows upon Quincy," Obito said with a heavy expression: "It's a special ability similar to a Mangekyō Sharingan. All who join the Sternritter possess a unique 'Schrift' that belongs to them."
"That kid was nearly impossible to deal with. Have you found any other Kaguya with Shikotsumyaku?"
Black Zetsu's voice trembled faintly.
"So Yoru's already built up power from Hollows, Shinigami, and Quincy... to this extent?"
He nodded.
"I've captured someone with Shikotsumyaku. What's your next move? Nagato won't last much longer."
"...We retreat."
Obito Uchiha's expression was exceptionally grim. He almost grit his teeth as he uttered the word 'retreat'.
But there was no choice.
Even without Yuki Yoru present, the current forces in Kirigakure were more than they could handle.
Instead of staying in Kirigakure, it was better to leave with the Shikotsumyaku as soon as possible.
The sacrifices had been gathered. The immediate priority was to make all preparations before performing the 'Chimera Technique'!
Having made up their minds, the two fled without hesitation.
And indeed—they made the right call.
The current strength of Kirigakure, bolstered by Soul Society, rendered a few Adjuchas-level Hollows completely irrelevant.
But as Obito and Black Zetsu vanished...
A slender figure in a white haori emerged from the space behind them.
"Obito..."
Shisui Uchiha murmured the name of his former clansman, his expression unreadable.
Ultimately, he did not go to stop the two but merely watched them quickly leave the village...
...
"So this is the power you wield?"
Uchiha Hikari stood frozen.
It took her several minutes to recover from witnessing Yuki Yoru's divine might.
Then, without a word, she bowed her head.
"Go ahead. Do it."
Yoru raised a brow. But instead of unsheathing a blade to end the girl whose real age likely exceeded his own, he pulled out a specially-made chakra pill and tossed it to her.
Hikari blinked. Then silently swallowed it.
She shut her eyes and waited for death.
But then—
Her eyes snapped open.
She felt a flicker of chakra restored inside her.
It was a healing pill—not poison!
"One of my prizes already escaped. I can't go home empty-handed."
"You all ruined the Chūnin Exams. You humiliated Sunagakure and damaged the Three-Nation Infrastructure Alliance. If I lose you as well, that's a heavy loss."
"A girl with Mangekyō Sharingan capable of Complete Susano'o... Even that's enough to make up for it."
"A... prize?" Hikari murmured.
Due to the spiritual power that had erupted from the previous battle, the desert climate was no longer as scorching as before. The blinding, hot sunlight had also softened slightly.
Soft sunlight pierced through the clouds, falling upon the girl's flawless white face. Even her Sharingan, which the shinobi world considered an ominous symbol, looked like exquisite rubies under the sunlight.
"The primary purpose of this operation was to attract your attention, making it easier for Obito Uchiha to infiltrate Kirigakure and seize the target," Hikari Uchiha said seriously to Yoru a moment later: "All in all, this plan was not a failure for us."
"Indeed, the power you and Nagato displayed certainly attracted my attention. In terms of that specific mission, you did complete it flawlessly."
"As for Obito's side..."
Yoru raised his hand.
A faint blue glow appeared—
And a projection emerged.
It was a live feed of Obito and Black Zetsu inside Kirigakure!
"What...?"
The girl froze.
Then clenched her fists and extended her hands toward Yoru.
Yoru raised an eyebrow, looking at Hikari, who remained motionless in that pose. After a while, he finally reacted and let out a soft chuckle: "There's no need for shackles. Your power is special, but to me, it won't cause any trouble."
The girl's expression paused slightly, then she lowered her hands.
"Alright, tell me," Yoru glanced at the distant Sand Gold Fortress, then began to leisurely walk towards it, asking as he went.
Hikari followed. She had no thought of escaping.
After witnessing Yoru's true power, escape wasn't even a dream.
"My name is Uchiha Hikari," she began quietly.
"I'm... a weapon."
Yoru paused.
He turned back to look at the girl—now spilling everything she had once kept hidden.