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"Once you find out, you\'re bound to feel disheartened."

"The bright, sunny, and cheerful Captain Uzumaki—" The last sentence was delivered almost like a hymn.

Naruto lightly tapped the table.

The spiritual pressure rippled, causing the area to begin to crumble.

Mayuri took a step back.

Only now did he realize that in the few months since they last met, Naruto had grown taller. He used to be half a head shorter than Mayuri, but now he had surpassed him by the same margin.

"The material used to forge Zanpakutō..." Mayuri grinned, "are souls."

Naruto narrowed his eyes.

This answer was both expected and reasonable.

He had suspected as much.

After all, the unique nature of the Nine-Tails\' sword made it clear.

By borrowing the Nine-Tails\' power, which itself possesses a soul, it could form a sword without needing an Asauchi.

"You\'re handling this well," Mayuri whispered. "I thought someone like you would be devastated by such news."

Naruto shot him a cold glance.

If he had heard this before encountering Aizen, he might have agonized over it for a long time.

But now, he could calmly ask, "What kind of souls? How are they made?"

"Who knows?" Mayuri shrugged, nonchalant and indifferent. "Humans, Shinigami, or Hollows?"

"Or maybe something more obscure, like the soul of your little friend, Kūgo Ginjō?"

"As for how they\'re made..."

"That\'s forbidden knowledge, strictly prohibited."

He had only researched his own Zanpakutō and had not specifically studied the creation of Zanpakutō in general.

Naruto stared at him: "You don\'t seem like someone who cares about taboos."

"If the Captain-Commander finds out," Mayuri responded nonchalantly, "I won\'t be easily forgiven."

Naruto tilted his head: "If it were Captain Urahara, he would have already handed over the forging diagrams."

Mayuri\'s expression stiffened.

He grabbed the scroll on the table: "Now that I\'ve learned your technique, I won\'t go back on my word."

"I\'ll give you what you want."

"As for Urahara..."

"That coward wouldn\'t dare do something like this."

Naruto smiled brightly.

This approach still worked best.

Mayuri impatiently pushed him out.

This guy was always like this... Every time Mayuri wanted to refuse, Naruto would bring up that man.

And unfortunately, it was hard to deny.

After all, with that man, there was no telling what he might do.

After leaving the 12th Division...

Naruto headed to the Shinigami Academy to request an Asauchi.

Dean Hakou looked at Naruto, somewhat surprised: "An Asauchi?"

"What do you need it for, Naruto?"

Asauchi were indeed precious to students who hadn\'t yet become Shinigami.

But within the context of the entire Seireitei, the importance of Asauchi wasn\'t particularly high.

As long as the order of storing and retrieving Asauchi remained intact, some losses or misplacements were within acceptable limits.

After all...

Many Shinigami had picked up their swords from outside.

The most typical example was Captain Zaraki Kenpachi of the 11th Division.

"My friend needs an Asauchi." Naruto waved his hand.

The Yang Nine-Tails appeared on his shoulder in response.

"This is..." Hakou was both surprised and pleased by its sudden appearance, though more surprised by the spiritual pressure emanating from its small body. It wasn\'t very strong, but it seemed to be only a fraction of its true power, unfathomably deep.

"This is my friend." Naruto nodded.

Hakou sized up the Nine-Tails thoughtfully: "Is it similar to Captain Komamura?"

Captain Komamura Sajin of the 9th Division was a well-known figure.

However, his fame was due not to his strength but to his appearance.

In the Seireitei, where most have human forms, a "dog-headed" Shinigami stood out significantly.

The Nine-Tails reluctantly nodded.

It didn\'t consider itself to be the same as that big dog.

But in the Soul Society, where there weren\'t many strange creatures, this explanation was easier for others to accept without needing too much explanation.

"Let me just log where this Asauchi is going," Hakou cheerfully agreed.

A few minutes later...

They obtained the Asauchi.

The Nine-Tails strapped it to its back in a proper manner.

Naruto looked at it, feeling that something was off. Just before they returned to the 7th Division barracks, it dawned on him: "I was wondering what you were missing. Do you want someone to make you a Shihakushō?"

"No." The Nine-Tails flatly refused. "Wearing clothes feels strange."

But as soon as it said this, it tilted its head and started examining Naruto.

In over a thousand years, it had never worn clothes and had no such habit.

However, in the Seireitei, every Shinigami, from the Captain-Commander down to the ordinary soldiers, wears a Shihakushō, with captains having the additional layer of a haori.

In the ninja world, it was different—Naruto had no allegiance.

But in the Soul Society, he was now, well... a Shinigami himself!

"Then get me two sets," the Nine-Tails said after thinking for a while, flicking its tail. "Just carrying a sword feels a bit out of place."

Naruto smiled and agreed.

The members of the 7th Division soon noticed a change in their barracks.

Their captain now had a cute Nine-Tailed Fox by his side.

It wore a custom-made Shihakushō and carried a Zanpakutō on its back, parading around openly.

At first, they thought it was just the captain\'s pet. Some of the female members even brought pet food from the human world, hoping to win the Nine-Tails\' affection.

But soon, the harsh reality hit them hard.

This fox was only cute in appearance.

Its mouth, however...

Although Captain Uzumaki was such a gentle person, the fox that had been with him for so long had a sharp tongue.

It wasn\'t just the insults.

The fox was also powerful.

Ordinary seated officers couldn\'t get close to it, and even the higher-ranking officers couldn\'t last long in a fight against it. Although it hadn\'t yet faced the vice-captain, everyone in the 7th Division was convinced that the fox\'s strength was on par with, if not greater than, the vice-captain\'s.

The most crucial detail: it carried a sword on its back, and without a doubt, it was an Asauchi.

This meant...

The fox wasn\'t wearing the Shihakushō just for show; it truly possessed the powers of a Shinigami.

Captain Uzumaki... where on earth did he get this?

While the Nine-Tails was showing off its power and enjoying its newfound freedom, Naruto spent this time reading through Kurotsuchi Mayuri\'s research notes on Zanpakutō.

Of course, Mayuri\'s research focus was vastly different from what Naruto was looking for.

His studies were more centered on "the essence of a Zanpakutō\'s power."

"Shikai is the manifestation of a Shinigami\'s own power, reflected in the form of their sword."

"Bankai is the evolution of that power, cultivated and brought to its ultimate form."

This information gave Naruto significant insights.

At the very least, it answered a lingering question...

Why couldn\'t the "Ashura" sword undergo Bankai training?

"Ashura" was a form of energy within him that contained "consciousness," but it lacked a "soul" or "self."

So, perhaps he would have to wait until the Nine-Tails completed its Bankai training before he could borrow its Bankai?

While Naruto was deeply engrossed in these studies...

Someone, unable to wait any longer, came to find him.

In the 7th Division captain\'s office...

Soi Fon sat quietly in a corner, almost as if she weren\'t there.

Kuchiki Byakuya stormed in, saying nothing, and stared coldly at Naruto.

"Byakuya, what\'s the matter?" Naruto asked in confusion.

Byakuya\'s tone was calm, but he couldn\'t suppress the coldness seeping through: "Captain Uzumaki, it\'s been almost three months since you last came to see me."

Naruto paused, recalling their last interaction.

During his previous stay in the Soul Society, he had taken Byakuya to see Hisana.

"You haven\'t visited since then?" Naruto asked, scratching his head.

Byakuya remained silent.

It was only then that he noticed the familiar spiritual pressure lingering in the corner.

Captain Soi Fon of the 2nd Division was also present.

"Does Captain Uzumaki have to force or coerce you for you to take the initiative?" Naruto chuckled, making his point clear.

Byakuya took a deep breath and turned to leave.

There were some things he couldn\'t say in front of Soi Fon.

"Byakuya, I need to remind you of something," Naruto called out to him. "How long do ordinary souls live?"

"How old is Hisana now?"

"Her age as a soul... I believe she\'s already over sixty."

Byakuya froze mid-step, his presence growing even heavier.

He knew exactly what Naruto was implying with this reminder.

"Do you need me to accompany you?" Naruto asked, standing up. "Or will you go alone?"

Byakuya said nothing, nor did he indicate anything. He simply walked out of the room on his own.

Four months later...

He returned to find Naruto.

After confirming that Soi Fon was not present, his expression was grave, as if he were about to deliver extremely sad news.

This made Naruto tense as well.

Was it because he had been too busy with his research on Zanpakutō to accompany him to Rukongai, and something had happened to Hisana?

When Byakuya spoke, it was indeed about Hisana, but the content was completely unexpected.

"Hisana confessed her feelings to me."

Naruto was momentarily stunned, then slapped the table: "Isn\'t that a good thing? Why do you look like that?"

"I thought something bad had happened to Hisana."

Byakuya\'s expression grew even more solemn: "When I saw her, I couldn\'t control my feelings."

"Naruto."

He lifted his head, his tone instinctively firm, though his gaze was a bit uncertain: "I want to marry her."

"You love each other," Naruto said with a smile. "Then get married."

Byakuya opened his mouth to speak.

But Naruto interrupted him: "Don\'t say those outdated things again."

"They\'re dull and boring."

"If you\'re worried about facing any obstacles, I\'ll support you."

"Captain Kuchiki would show me some respect, I\'m sure."

"And if anyone else opposes it, even the Captain-Commander, I\'ll draw my sword against him."

Byakuya was visibly moved.

~~~

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