Night fell, and the endless chirping of cicadas echoed through the air. Most of the villagers were already asleep.
Naruto knew, however, that the ninja assigned to monitor him were still "working overtime."
"The Will of Fire is truly enlightening," he said with a sigh, closing the book with deliberate exaggeration.
He neatly put the books away, washed up, and lay down to sleep.
Drip. Drop.
In his dream, the familiar sound of dripping water jolted Naruto awake.
He opened his eyes and found himself once again in that familiar place—the cold, dark dungeon.
He quickly got up and made his way toward the iron gate, already accustomed to the path.
"Mr. Aizen, I'm here."
Reaching the gate, he saw Aizen sitting cross-legged on the ground beyond it, illuminated by faint light.
Brown hair, brown eyes, black-rimmed glasses, long bangs falling over his eyes—his appearance was gentle, refined, almost picturesque.
"Yo, Naruto. I saw everything earlier," Aizen said casually.
"You did well. You've learned how to hide your emotions now."
"That's all thanks to you, Mr. Aizen," Naruto replied, sitting down in front of the iron gate.
"Without your guidance, I'd still be that foolish Uzumaki Naruto."
"I merely gave you a push," Aizen said, shaking his head lightly.
"You're very intelligent, Naruto. I see the potential in you… the potential to overthrow Konoha."
"Me?" Naruto pointed at himself, disbelief written all over his face.
This was the first time he had ever received praise like this, and a surge of joy rose in his chest.
"Of course," Aizen said calmly.
"Never underestimate yourself."
His gaze was deep.
Aizen was certain—Naruto possessed a terrifying power hidden within him, one that even he did not dare to underestimate.
That power was likely the Nine-Tails, the very existence Konoha's high command both feared and desperately tried to control.
Aizen looked forward to Naruto's future.
Would he become a weakling who obediently followed the rules?
Or would he walk all the way to the very edge of those rules—and beyond?
Before that, Aizen intended to provide him with knowledge and resources, allowing him to grow freely.
Perhaps one day, Naruto might even become a key to transcending the limits of a Shinigami.
"Let's begin today's studies," Aizen said, waving his right hand.
Several books appeared out of thin air in front of Naruto.
They were textbooks from the human world—covering language, mathematics, foreign languages, as well as psychology, sociology, and other disciplines.
Aizen wanted Naruto to receive an education rooted in a more advanced society, to broaden his way of thinking.
Naturally, Naruto would be studying on his own.
Aizen had no patience for hand-holding.
He casually picked up a book for himself, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Humans in the living world might be weak, but their wisdom was not to be underestimated.
Whenever he had time, Aizen would read in the Sealing Space.
Naruto, however, didn't touch the textbooks. His expression was hesitant.
After a moment, as if having made up his mind, he stood up, bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle, and shouted:
"Mr. Aizen, please teach me how to become stronger!"
"Stronger?" Aizen set the book aside, his expression amused.
"And why do you want to become stronger?"
"Because I want the power to control my own destiny," Naruto replied without hesitation.
"I don't want to be looked at with those eyes anymore. I want the strength to shatter everything—to change how everyone sees me."
"Is that all?" Aizen's eyes filled with disappointment.
"Is the opinion of others truly that important to you?"
Naruto froze.
Fragments of memory surfaced in his mind.
The beatings from other children.
The curses from villagers.
The Third Hokage's benevolent yet hypocritical smile.
Was the approval of others really that important to him?
In the past, he had believed that as long as he became Hokage, everyone would acknowledge him.
So he struggled desperately, pushing himself forward with all his strength.
Looking back now… it felt laughable.
Konoha wanted to control him.
In their eyes, what exactly was he?
They had never truly regarded him as one of their own.
Naruto clenched his fists, fury blazing in his eyes.
He raised his head, his gaze resolute.
"I want the power to break everything," he said coldly.
"I want Konoha—no, the entire Ninja World—to respect me… or even fear me."
"Fear?" Aizen said, his lips curling slightly.
"Still not enough, but at least that's interesting. Very well—I'll lend you a hand."
He stood up.
His slender figure radiated an overwhelming pressure.
Naruto's breath caught in his throat. His entire body trembled uncontrollably beneath that terrifying presence.
"Is this all you can handle?" Aizen said coldly, removing his glasses.
His eyes sharpened.
In that instant, all traces of gentleness vanished, replaced by pure arrogance and contempt.
This was the first time Aizen had revealed his true self.
Naruto's pupils shrank violently, his body shaking.
"The world I come from is different from the Ninja World," Aizen said.
"We Shinigami are souls—we do not possess physical human bodies."
"Reiatsu is the unique power system of our world. The density of one's soul is called Reiatsu. The greater the density, the greater the power."
"Every resident of the Soul Society possesses Reiatsu. Those with exceptional talent can awaken a Zanpakutō and gain a unique Shikai command."
"You are human. Logically speaking, you should not possess Reiatsu."
"So if you forcibly awaken it, there will be countless uncertainties."
"To obtain power, you must possess the resolve to die."
The entire Sealing Space shook violently.
An unremarkable katana appeared in front of Naruto.
"If you already have the resolve to die," Aizen said coldly,
"then take this sword."
He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, watching without expression.
The more Aizen understood this space, the more cautious he became.
Within it, he seemed able to manifest his abilities—and even items—for Naruto.
He had no idea what kind of supreme existence had created this place.
But from the signs so far, it almost felt as though this space wanted him to become Naruto's teacher.
With that in mind, Aizen decided to test whether Naruto could truly obtain power in the real world—and even become a Shinigami.
Perhaps… he could even fuse the powers of a Shinigami and a ninja.
If successful, it would open an entirely new path.
Aizen's eyes burned with excitement.
In his pursuit of transcendence, he had never hesitated to use even his comrades as Hollowfication experiments.
In the Soul Society, that was nothing short of dancing on the edge of a blade.
Though arrogant and confident, there were still existences he feared.
The Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13—the strongest Shinigami.
Genryūsai Yamamoto.
To Aizen, everything was a chess piece.
One wrong move could lead to eternal ruin.
And Naruto—
Naruto was a massive variable.
In Aizen's sight, Naruto reached out without hesitation and gripped the Zanpakutō tightly.
There was no pain.
No violent surge of power.
Only a cool, refreshing sensation spreading through his body.
Naruto realized he had gained a strange new power within himself.
It was faint—almost imperceptible.
But it was real.
It worked.
Aizen's pupils shrank, shock surging through his heart.
Reiatsu was flowing through Uzumaki Naruto's entire body.
Through his spiritual pathways.
Spiritual pathways were formed from spiritual energy and used for perception. Only high-ranking Shinigami could see them.
A Shinigami's pathways were red.
A human's were white.
But Naruto's—
Red and white, intertwined.