[Samsara] Chapter 3 - Shinigami

The war against Yhwach and the Quincy had been brewing for months, and the final battle took nearly a week. Thousands of Shinigami had lost their lives, with the low-ranked members of the Gotei 13 being almost completely decimated. 

However, at long last, peace was achieved. The Quincy were defeated. The balance of the Three Realms was no longer threatened. The day after the end of the final battle, blood was still pooling on the streets of Seireitei from the countless Quincy and Shinigami corpses that were lying on the ground. Dozens of men and women wearing the traditional Shinigami clothing and white veils similar to hijabs that only left their eyes uncovered were flying around Seireitei, casting fire techniques that burnt the bodies into nothingness. 

Naruto watched it all through the window without saying a word. 

“Is this the first time you saw something like this?” came a voice from behind. It was the dark-skinned captain with messy silver hair, Shihoin Chika. 

“I’ve seen two other wars before,” Naruto said. 

“I was talking about their Kido spells. . . but never mind that. You still remember your life when you were in the Human Realm?” Chika asked. 

As he turned to look at the Shinigami, Naruto was surprised at the expression of excitement on his face. 

“Where were you from in the Human Realm? Tell me, tell me. I know a lot about it!”

When Naruto didn’t say anything, Shihoin continued:

“Let me see. . . blue eyes, blonde hair, white skin, and a robust body. Were you born in Scandinavia or in the Germanic lands? Are you from the North Sea Empire? Or from the Holy Roman Empire?”

Not waiting for the blonde to give him an answer, Shihoin said while getting closer to him, studying his face intently: 

“Wait, the slight slant in your eyes indicates a possible Asian ancestry. And then, the marks on your face. Are they natural or-”

Naruto pushed him away, annoyed and uncomfortable at how close he was. 

“What are those fire attacks they are casting?”

He was from another world; he was just brought into this world by the Rabbit Goddess shortly before she killed him. None of the names that Shihoin Chika had mentioned rang any bells for him, so he changed the subject.

“That’s Kido. Demon arts. By manipulating their spiritual energy, Shinigami can cast all sorts of spells. It is our most versatile discipline but also the most difficult.”

“I understand burning the bodies of the enemies. . . but why are they burning their comrades’ bodies too? They fought and died for Seireitei. Shouldn’t they get a proper burial? Is that how you honour their sacrifice?”

Chika walked next to him, in front of the window, and glanced at what was happening outside too. 

“When souls die, their bodies decompose into spiritual energy. Even if we were to leave those corpses on the streets, they would all disappear in a matter of days. What’s the point of digging a hole to bury them when they’d turn into reishi soon after? We’re just speeding up the process.”

At that moment, a black butterfly flew into the room, passing through the window as though it did not exist, and landed on Shihoin’s index finger. It was a Hell Butterfly. 

“I’ve been summoned by the Captain Commander. I have to go.”

He slid the door open, but before he left, he turned his head and said over his shoulder:

“Don’t do anything foolish while I’m away.”

⁂

A middle-aged man with a strong body and a samurai topknot hairstyle stood with his hands resting on the hilt of his katana as he waited. The scars on his forehead, the long and thick moustache, the piercing look in his eyes, and the overwhelming reiatsu seeping out of his body gave him an intimidating presence. 

One by one, men and women wearing shihakusho and a white haori on top walked inside the meeting room. They were Captains of the Gotei 13, and the man standing and waiting for them was the Captain Commander, Genryusai Yamamoto.

“Where are the rest?” Yamamoto asked.

“Furofushi is dead. She and her troops were killed in Rukongai,” Chika Shihoin reported. 

They had already heard that piece of news before, but quite a few of the Captains there tsked mockingly. They couldn’t fathom how a Captain-level Shinigami lost her life against some Rukongai souls. 

“What about Entetsu and Chigiri?” the Commander asked. 

As the commander spoke, the doors opened, and a young man with a messy ponytail and slovenly appearance walked in while yawning. 

“You’re late again!” Yamamoto barked at him. 

Chigiri Shijima’s yawn abruptly ended when he heard the tone of his voice. 

“Sorry, Commander. I was just too tired from the battle,” said Chigiri, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. 

Yamamoto let out a sigh but did not continue berating him. 

“Only nine of us left?” he asked. 

“The Loan Shark died against the Quincy, huh?” said a tall and burly man with shaggy brown hair and prominent sideburns. “Good riddance if ya ask me.”

“I saw that fatass Zenjoji getting his head blown off by a Quincy with a big gun," spoke a gaunt-looking man with grey skin and a fur-collared robe.

“That leaves only the old man,” said Shihoin. “Anyone seen him?”

“Sakahone-san is poisoned,” Unohana Yachiru answered. “I tried to cure him to the best of my ability, but even my Kido is not enough. He is still alive, but I don’t know for how long.”

“What a shame. I wish I could’ve fought him at least once before he croaked,” Danjiro said regretfully. 

“Bah! Is fighting all that’s on your mind?”

“I don’t want to hear it from you, zombie. A coward like you can do nothing but hide behind his shades.”

“What did you just say? You dare call me a coward?” the fur-collared man shot back in rage, his hand going to the hilt of his zanpakuto. 

Danjiro laughed mockingly and crossed his hands on his chest.

“Do it, coward. I’ll even stand here and let you have the first three moves.”

Chika ran a hand over his face. ‘Those two idiots are back at it again.’

“Silence!” Yamamoto screamed and slammed his zanpakuto against the floor.

His monstrous reiatsu lashed out along with his scream, and the commotion in the room died instantly.

Nearly half a minute passed without anyone saying anything before an airy voice broke the silence.

“How did Saito-chan die against some Rukon district souls?”

Everyone glanced at the busty, bespectacled woman before turning their attention to Shihoin Chika. 

The dark-skinned man shrugged his shoulders.

“Beats me.”

Several captains glared at him for his flippant answer.

“Captain Yamamoto sent you to check the situation because your Flash Step is the fastest among us, Shihoin-dono,” a man with short hair, a serious face, and a pair of simple, rectangular glasses said in reproach. “You are a Captain. We expect to hear something more than just a ‘beats me’ from you.”

“I already told you all I know. When I got there, everyone was already dead.”

It was a lie. Naruto had not been able to kill everyone before falling unconscious. Some of the Shinigami had escaped but Shihoin Chika had tracked them all down and killed them before they could return to Seireitei.

“What proof do you have that you didn’t do her in yourself?” the man with rectangular glasses said accusatorily.

“We all know you had the hots for her, Four Eyes, but I have no interest in a woman whose body looks like that of a child.”

The glasses-wearing captain sputtered, and a hint of red appeared on his face.

“That’s not what I meant! And I never—"

Completely ignoring his excuses, Shihoin continued unbothered. “Now, when it comes to women like Yachiru-san or Katori-san here, that’s another matter altogether.”

“Shihoin-san?” a glacial voice came from Unohana.

“Y-Yes?”

“I suggest you think over your following words very carefully. They may be your last.”

Unohana was speaking calmly, but her killing intent had almost everyone except for Yamamoto on edge when she put her hand on the hilt of her zanpakuto. 

“I was complimenting you,” Shihoin said, giving her an uneasy smile. 

Yamamoto let out a deep sigh.

“Enough fooling around. We don’t have time for that. The Quincy have dealt a severe blow to Seireitei. Nearly 70% of our troops died. Therefore, from today onwards, I want you to focus on recruiting and nurturing more Shinigami for your squads.”

“Secondly, this war showed us that we severely lack support and medical troops.”

[...]

The meeting of the Shinigami Captains lasted several hours, much to Chika’s chagrin. 

‘But the new direction works perfectly for me.’

The Commander’s order to recruit and nurture more people into their squad was in tune with Shihoin’s plans.

⁂

Standing in front of the wide and tall window, Naruto watched the Kido Corps burn numerous corpses on the streets with their Demon Arts, trying to uncover the secret of their powers. He noticed that many of them would make complicated hand signs as though they were writing kanji in the air and saying lengthy incantations before casting their spells. But others only said a name and a number before casting their Kido, without any complicated hand signs or long incantations. 

'I guess the speed and the strength of the spell depends on everyone's skills?'

Unknowingly, several hours passed like that. Back in his first life, when he was a child, Naruto used to be super impatient and hyper-energetic. But he was a grown-up man now, and after living alone for so long in this world, he had become accustomed to zoning out and losing track of time.

It was only when the door of the room slid open that Naruto snapped back to reality, and it was just in time for him to catch the weapon that Shihoin Chika threw at him.

“That’s your zanpakuto,” Chila answered his unasked question. “From now on, I want you to have that sword on you at all times. You could be in bed, sleeping, eating, or even having a shower in the bathroom. Keep that katana with you at all times.” 

“What for? Is someone going to try to assassinate me?”

Chika started chuckling when Naruto asked that question with a straight face.

“The only ones who would try to assassinate someone in Seireitei are the Stealth Force, and they’re under my command. Stay on my good side, and you won’t have to worry about anything like that.”

“How reassuring,” Naruto muttered sardonically. “If there is nobody after my life, what’s the point? Is this some sort of hazing for new recruits?”

Shihoin let out a sigh. “Believe it or not, boy, I am on your side.”

“You’re a Shinigami,” Naruto retorted, even though he could sense through his Negative Emotions Sensing ability that Chika was speaking the truth. 

“I’m a Shinigami, yes. A Shinigami who saved your life. I’m a Shinigami who killed his fellow Shinigami to hide the fact that you killed a Captain. How about showing some gratitude?”

Nonplussed by his outburst, Naruto asked:

“Why are you helping me? What’s in it for you? Don’t tell me it’s out of the goodness of your heart.”

“I told you, didn’t I? You have value. Your power could be useful to me in the future. That’s all there is to it. Any more questions?”

When Naruto remained silent, Chika continued:

“There is no disadvantage to becoming a Shinigami.”

“Other than receiving orders to massacre innocents. But I guess that’s just a tiny, insignificant detail to Shinigami,” Naruto spat. 

“As long as you are in my squad, I will never force you to do that. You have my word. And you should know that I’m the head of the Shihoin Clan. I am not one to break my word. Now, you’ve had enough time to think about it while you were in the Maggots’ Nest. I would like to hear your answer. Will you become a Shinigami or not?” 

Seeing the sharp look in his eyes and the relaxed smirk receding from his face, Naruto understood that the dark-skinned man meant business at that moment. 

‘If I say no, he’ll definitely kill me.’

His Negative Emotion Sensing could detect the killing intent hidden underneath Shihoin Chika’s calm and collected facade. 

Nevertheless, Naruto had made up his mind beforehand that he would become a Shinigami and bide his time, waiting for the right moment.

‘It’s not too late to escape after I learnt all their spells and techniques. I’ll take all I can get from them and become stronger.’

⁂

That night, Naruto sat cross-legged on the balcony, in the cool air of the summer night, and read from a thick book about the history of Seireitei.

After expressing his agreement to become a Shinigami, Shihoin Chika gave him a great deal of information about the Soul Society. For example, he was now part of the 2nd Division of Gotei 13, which was a military organisation tasked with maintaining the balance of souls in the three realms: the Human Realm, Hueco Mundo, and Soul Society. 

Standing above the Gotei 13 was Central 46, a governing body consisting of members from the Noble Houses ruling Seireitei. And above them all was a godlike being called the Soul King. 

‘From his words, it seems like this Soul King is at least as powerful as the Rabbit Goddess, or maybe even more powerful.’

Naruto had lived in Rukongai for many years, but it was only now that he was learning the truth behind the world he was currently in. 

“Making you go through the Shinigami Academy would be a complete waste of time.” - was what his Captain told him before filling his arms with a dozen books and scrolls and locking him inside the room, ordering him not to try leaving the mansion until he finished reading and memorising everything in them. 

He had never been good at studying in his youth. He had never liked studying. But, at that moment, he did not have a choice. His very survival depended on gathering as much information about the world. He was in a dangerous situation. 

⁂

Stuck inside Shihoin Chika’s mansion, Naruto studied the books and scrolls he was provided with. His efforts were not in vain; his understanding of this new world deepened with every passing day. For example, he learned that Shinigami had four main martial disciplines:

• Zanjutsu - in his world’s terms, that was Kenjutsu. 
  

• Hakuda - that was Taijutsu. 
  

• Kido - it was quite similar to his world’s Ninjutsu and Fuinjutsu
  

• Hoho - a new discipline for which shinobi did not have an exact equivalent. It was a set of footwork techniques that granted Shinigami a level of speed similar to his world’s Body-Flicker Jutsu. 
  

Naruto also learnt about the laws of the Seireitei, about the cosmology of the world, and about the commandments of the Shinigami according to the teachings of Genryousai Yamamoto, the Captain Commander of Gotei 13. 

In addition to that, as he read the book on general knowledge about Seireitei, he found out that the Captain of Squad 2, Shihoin Chika, was actually an esteemed person in Seireitei. 

‘To think that this guy is the Head of the Shihoin Clan, one of the Five Noble Houses that rule the world. . .’

He would have never imagined that if he were to judge only by his looks and laid-back personality.

⁂

Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and months turned into years. 

Ten years after the Quincy War, Naruto had become a regular Shinigami, a member of the Second Squad. During these ten years, despite his growing power, he tried to keep a low profile. His public persona was not weak, by any means, but he was not exactly elite either. Currently, he was the 5th Seated Officer of the Second Squad. 

Unfortunately, he could not hide his true level from Shihoin Chika, who knew that Naruto had killed a Captain before even becoming a shinigami. Seeing as he had no injuries, it made no sense for the blonde to have regressed instead of becoming stronger after 10 years of assiduous training.

In the present, Naruto was locked in a Taijutsu battle—or, as it was called by Shinigami, Hakuda—against his Captain inside the private training grounds of the Shihoin Clan’s mansion. 

“Come on, Goldilocks, is that all you got? Stop holding back already and fight me!” Chika said after they broke away and put some distance between each other. 

“You never know who is watching,” Naruto replied, wiping his sweaty forehead with the sleeve of his shihakusho. Although they were not fighting at full power, it was not like they were playing around either. 

“You’re being ridiculous right now! Do you have any idea how many Kido barriers and seals are protecting this mansion? And my servants know that if any secrets were to leak out, their families would receive their heads in a bag, first thing in the morning.”

“Even after all these years, you’re still treating other people’s lives like they mean less than dirt,” Naruto bit out. 

“On the contrary, I value the lives of my subordinates quite a lot. But enough chatter. You better get serious this time, Naruto. I won’t hold back. Remove your limiters if you don't want to die!”

Shihoin Chika’s body was engulfed by lightning, and his body seemed to blur out of existence as he lunged at Naruto. Stubbornly, Naruto refused to remove the seals suppressing his reiatsu, but that proved to be a mistake because two minutes after the start of their second bout, one of Chika’s roundhouse kicks broke through his guard and landed on the side of his head, flinging him violently into the outer wall of the courtyard. 

The wall lit up with a golden light as Naruto crashed into it, revealing the Kido Barrier that was protecting it. If not for that protective spell, he would have left a human-shaped hole in the wall with his body. 

“I warned you that I would not hold back. Face me like a true warrior. I refuse to believe that this is all you’re capable of after 10 years!” Shihoin said seriously. “Do not disrespect me any further. Do not insult my pride.”

“I couldn’t care less about your damn pride!” Naruto muttered while he stood up from the ground, groaning in pain. 

He glanced around the courtyard carefully. He also focused his senses on spiritual energy detection, double-checking that there was nobody around. He had the nagging suspicion that he was being watched, but with how adamant his captain was about kicking the shit out of him, he could not afford to hold back anymore. 

Shihoin facepalmed himself. “I told you there is nobody here!”

“Alright then. Have it your way,” said Naruto as he took off the thin leather bracers he was wearing around his wrists. 

The moment those bracers left his wrists, an overpowering reiatsu exploded from his body. 

Shihoin did not say a word, but if his facial expression was anything to go by, he was in shock. 

‘What the hell?!’

The reiatsu coming from the blond made all his senses warn him of mortal danger. A moment later, his expression of shock turned into a battle-crazy grin. 

“Yeah! That’s what I’m talking about! Come!” Chika shouted as he threw himself at Naruto, the back of his clothes exploding from the massive release of spiritual energy. “Show me the strength that allowed you to kill a Captain in Rukon!”

Naruto burst forth with a Flash Step as well, and the two of them met in the middle, clashing their forearms against each other in a contest of pure physical strength rather than Hakuda skill. Much to the Captain’s surprise, he was flung back violently, incapable of holding his own for even a second against the blonde’s physical strength after he released his limiters. 

⁂

One hour later, Naruto and Chika stopped their brawl, lying on the ground with their arms and legs spread eagle from exhaustion. Although Naruto had the edge in brute strength, Chika’s speed was in a league of its own. They couldn’t determine a victor without attacking with the intent to kill, but they refrained from doing so. After all, it was just a spar, not a battle to the death. 

“Why have you been holding back your power all this time?” the dark-skinned man asked with difficulty while panting for air. 

“What would be the point of showing it off to the others? So that I’ll have more eyes following me around?”

“You’re impossible! I’ve never met anyone as paranoid as you are!” Shihoin said in dismay. 

“Oi. I’m serious! Trust me on this: someone is watching me!”

Shihoin winced, his bones groaning in protest as he sat up to look at Naruto. 

“How many times have I checked over the years? I even stationed my men around to hide themselves and protect you. I’m the leader of the Stealth Force, yet I couldn’t find anyone spying on you. But you can?”

“I trust my instincts more than I trust your detection abilities,” Naruto retorted. “My instincts have never betrayed me before. Never.”

“You’re hopeless,” Chika said, shaking his head in dismay. “With your talent, you could’ve become a Lieutenant by now. Maybe a Captain even. But you’re choosing to gimp yourself for no reason.”

⁂

As a member of the Gotei 13, Naruto had the same duties as every other shinigami: patrolling the Human Realm and Rukongai, killing hollows, and protecting the innocent. 

Maybe it was because of the fact that Shihoin was still afraid that Naruto would go rogue if he were to be allowed in the Human Realm but even after 10 years, he had never been sent to patrol the Human Realm. He had only ever worked in Rukongai. 

Several days after his all-out Hakuda spar against Shihoin Chika, Naruto was assigned to patrol one of the most remote districts of Rukongai. 

His partner, a young man with shoulder-length brown hair tied in a messy ponytail, complained in a whiny voice when the Lieutenant handed out their mission. 

“Aww, man, why do we have to patrol that backwater?” 

The more remote the district of Rukongai, the longer their mission, and the less fun too. Most shinigami wanted to be assigned to the districts closer to Seireitei because hardly any Hollow attacks ever happened there, so they would spend most of their time in pubs or fooling around with escorts. 

“There are people living in that place as well. People who are vulnerable to Hollow attacks,” said Naruto in a tone as though he were talking to a mentally challenged person.

“You’re always so stiff. Do you ever have any fun in your life?”

Naruto didn’t deign him with an answer and went ahead with a Shunpo (Flash Step).

“Hey, wait for me!”

It had to be said that Rukongai was enormous. Even with them using Shunpo to travel, it took Naruto and his partner nearly five hours just to reach Rukongai’s 308th district. 

On the way, Kenji, the young man with the ponytail, tried to make small talk several times, but Naruto didn’t entertain him. 

“What crawled up your ass and died?” Kenji muttered under his breath in a voice quiet enough that only he could hear it. 

Although the blond had been part of the Second Squad for a decade now, he had not allowed himself to grow close to any of his squadmates because the passing of time had not dulled his memory.

Due to his very high spiritual energy causing regular people to get ill in his presence, it used to be a dream of his to go to Seireitei. Shinigami were strong, and everyone in Seireitei had high spiritual energy. His hope had been that he would get to live a normal life, surrounded by friends and comrades, just like in his past life. In the end, Naruto was a sociable person who loved to be around people. He had always hated being alone. 

Alas, fate threw a wrench into his plans. Ten years ago, the Shinigami slaughtered every single one of his friends and left him for dead too. Children, women, and the elderly: they were all killed mercilessly. 

Naruto had never forgotten the sight of their corpses strewn all over the village streets or the psychotic laughter of the female Shinigami Captain when she stabbed him with her zanpakuto and licked the blood off his face. 

He could not be friends with Shinigami. Not while the wound was still raw, not while his hatred was still burning. 

⁂

Four days later, Naruto and Kenji’s mission came to an end. To Kenji’s happiness, they had not encountered any Hollows, and the groups of bandits and other evildoers knew better than to try causing any trouble for other people while a team of Shinigami was nearby. The four days passed peacefully, with no out-of-the-ordinary incidents taking place. 

Now, it was in the evening of their fourth day of patrol, and it was time for them to return to Seireitei.

“Go ahead without me,” said Naruto. “I’ll catch up to you in half an hour. I have something to do.”

Fed up with Naruto’s indifference towards him over the past few days, Kenji just shrugged his shoulders and left without as much as a goodbye. 

Once the young Shinigami vanished, he started running in the opposite direction. Had Kenji seen his speed now, he would have been startled to realise just how much Naruto had to hold back in order to run at the same pace with him over the past few days. 

A few minutes later, the blond passed the borders of the 308th district and entered the 309th district of Rukongai. It was his district, the region of Rukongai where he used to live before the massacre. 

Soon, Naruto arrived at the village. 

As if the slaughter from 10 years ago had been just a phantasmagoria, the village was in pristine condition and boasted a population of nearly 300 inhabitants. 

Obviously, they weren’t the same people. The reason why the souls of Rukongai harboured the delusion that the Shinigami were the defenders of justice and their protectors was that the Gotei 13 in general did not attack them for no reason. Shinigami focused on exterminating the hollows that infiltrated Soul Society. But if they did need to do terrible things, Gotei 13 always targeted remote places, and they were very efficient when it came to clearing up their mess. 

This village in particular had been rebuilt, and new souls moved to live in it; some were reborn in Rukongai after dying in the Human Realm, while others simply moved from neighbouring towns and districts. 

Letting out a sigh, Naruto threw one last look at the peaceful village before walking away, heading towards the fields located to the west of the settlement. 

A great number of rocks had been piled up in a 10-meter-tall pyramid. It was a rather crude monument that Naruto had erected in memory of those who had lost their lives at the hands of the Shinigami. Nameless people whom nobody cared about. . . nobody but him. 

He knew that their souls were not truly gone and that they had been reincarnated in the World of the Living. However, as far as he was concerned, his friends were gone. Even if, through some miracle, they were to meet each other again in the future, they would not even recognise him anymore. Rukongai souls lost all their memories once they were reincarnated in the Human Realm. 

Stopping in front of the funeral monument, Naruto took out a small scroll from the inner pocket of his shihakusho and crouched to unfurl it on the grassy ground. 

Placing his palm on the scroll, a stick of incense appeared with a plume of smoke. Over the past ten years, Naruto had managed to recreate the Sealing Scrolls of his past life through the use of Kido. 

A small flame flickered at the tip of his index finger, lighting the incense, and he stuck it into the brazier located in front of the pile of rocks. 

A moment later, he placed his palm on the scroll once again, and a bowl of steaming hot ramen appeared on top of the scroll with another plume of smoke. 

“Rin, Kai. I know how much you used to love ramen,” he spoke softly as he placed the bowl at the foot of the brazier. 

“Uncle Jin, this is the boar meat you loved when you were alive.”

One by one, Naruto started speaking the names of his dead friends and taking out various offerings from his sealing scroll.

“As for you, auntie-”

His words abruptly stopped when his instincts screamed at him to throw himself to the side. 

Time seemed to slow down in Naruto’s perception as he ducked and rolled away, turning around to see a spatial distortion in the air missing his face only by an inch.  

The attack missed its target, but the strength behind it was so ridiculous that the large pile of rocks was blown away and all the offerings that Naruto had brought for his dead friends were pulverised. 

The blond was still in the middle of his rolling motion when he thrust his palm at the invisible attacker and shouted:

“Hado #63: Raikoho!” 

Lightning appeared in the palm of his hand, and a massive explosion boomed. The earth ruptured, the skies shook, and a deafening thunderclap almost burst the eardrums of all ordinary people living nearby.