Shinigami in the Ninja World

Chapter 231: Nine Masked Tailed Beast

Naruto pushed the window open.

The sky was gloomy, and the heavy rain pounded relentlessly against the ground.

Towering buildings, with a strange style resembling those in the "World of the Living" from another realm, filled his view.

He really was back...

Next door, another window opened with a bang, and Karin's red hair popped out. It had been a while since he last saw her.

Her bright, sunny smile contrasted sharply with the dark, dreary atmosphere of the world around her.

She hadn't even greeted him yet when she noticed the expression on Naruto's face, which was as heavy as the weather in the Land of Rain.

"Naruto, what's wrong?" she asked.

Naruto smiled, pulling himself together. "Nothing."

As if they were no big deal.

Karin spoke softly, "The ninja world is only so big. We'll find Madara Uchiha and Obito Uchiha. Haven't we already discovered some clues?"

Naruto shook his head, remaining silent.

His time in the Soul Society had been shorter than expected. At first, he had felt some impatience and frustration, but he wasn't the same inexperienced kid who had once crossed between two worlds.

Maybe it was just a coincidence.

Maybe the rules for traveling between worlds weren't as he had imagined.

Maybe...

But no matter what, since he had gone there once, he knew he could go again.

After washing up, another new day began.

Naruto set out, continuing his search for the location that had been on his mind.

He could sense something, though he couldn't pinpoint the exact spot yet, so he had to conduct a careful search within a certain range.

The space between life and death.

It wasn't completely cut off from the "World of the Living."

Even the fluctuations from outside this space were detected by Madara Uchiha.

"What a terrifying successor." He looked up, his eyes hollow as he stared at the sky. "He can even..."

"Sense this place."

Kabuto stood behind him, also looking up, though he couldn't sense any power. "Has Naruto already found us?"

"Not yet, but soon," Madara Uchiha replied, lowering his gaze to the colossal figure above.

A tree-like creature with ten spikes protruding from its back, resembling stone pillars.

Naruto's power didn't frighten him.

But that...

The ability to strip "Edo Tensei" of its chakra was certainly something remarkable.

As much as he hated to admit it, Naruto Uzumaki was not someone he could currently handle.

Kabuto smiled but kept his gaze fixed upward.

Naruto hadn't yet found the space between worlds, but he wasn't completely without progress. His search area had narrowed.

There was no rush to find Madara Uchiha.

The man who had fled hastily after just one encounter didn't leave a deep impression on him, especially after the things Naruto had experienced in the Soul Society. Both Aizen and Muramasa had been far more formidable opponents, much more difficult to deal with than anything he had faced in the ninja world.

As a result, Naruto's focus had shifted toward something else—specifically, matters concerning his blade, *Kurama*.

That night, on the outskirts of the city.

Karin sat on a tree branch, her legs crossed, watching the boy in the center of the forest.

Naruto unsheathed his sword, reciting the release command, though he didn't use much of its power.

Kurama, still able to emerge from Naruto's inner world, perched on his shoulder, curiously peering around.

Although...

The fact that *Yin-Yang Release* could create living things didn't surprise Kurama. After all, the Tailed Beasts had been born from this very power, created by the Sage of Six Paths, who had drawn their power from the Ten-Tails.

Still, Kurama was curious.

The power of a Tailed Beast, even when wielded lightly, could create something impressive using *Yin-Yang Release*. What kind of life could be created from it?

Naruto raised his sword, channeling his inner spiritual energy to activate Kurama's power.

The energy of *Yin Release* flowed, shaping the formless into form.

A milky white liquid appeared out of thin air, like clay, slowly taking the shape of a tanuki.

"Shukaku doesn't look like that," Kurama observed after a long silence, staring at the figure. Although it looked quite different from the One-Tail he remembered, it was clear who this creature was meant to represent.

Naruto nodded, a little helpless. "I know, it's quite different, but this is the best I can do."

He extended his hand, and with a gesture, a summoning scroll appeared in a puff of white smoke.

He tapped the scroll, and it floated open, releasing the chakra of the One-Tail.

Naruto grabbed it and placed it into the tanuki-shaped creature.

Kurama's power activated once again.

The energy of *Yin Release* surged, giving life to the newly formed creature.

The little tanuki instantly came to life.

The chakra of the One-Tail hadn't fully merged with the creature. The nature of their powers was different, as the tanuki was made of spiritual energy, not fully compatible with chakra.

Its consciousness became its "soul."

Meanwhile, the remaining power condensed on its head, forming a mask similar to a *Hollow*. The mask wasn't overly intricate; it had normal features, but in the center of its forehead was an eye-like mark.

It blinked, staring in confusion at Naruto and Kurama before finally shifting its gaze to Kurama.

The golden-haired human seemed kind, but the fox with the "ugly face" carried a much more familiar, much more comforting aura.

"It's better than the puppets you created before," Kurama commented, jumping down from Naruto's shoulder to inspect the tanuki. "It has a nice aura too."

"But…"

"It's still not at the level of a captain."

Kurama could sense the tanuki's spiritual pressure. It wasn't even at the level of a vice-captain, let alone the "captain-class" strength they had initially hoped for.

"Kurama, did you have this kind of power when you were first born?" Naruto asked, tilting his head.

Kurama thought for a moment before shaking his head. "I had a juvenile phase too. I had considerable strength even then, but I wasn't as powerful as I am now."

"Especially not compared to the strength I possess now."

Naruto looked at the little tanuki. "Then they should be able to grow as well."

"Shall we test your power?"

His last words were directed at the newly created creature.

The tanuki, though just born, possessed a certain level of intelligence. It understood Naruto's words and nodded.

It turned, its body swelling like a snake's, before opening its mouth.

A whirlwind shot forward, surging toward the distance.

The wind was turbulent, though not strong enough to stir even a few leaves from the trees.

However…

The wind was compressed and sharp.

With a loud crashing sound, the trees in the wind's path were cleanly sliced in half, the severed trunks falling with a heavy thud, sending up a spray of dirt and mud.

The little tanuki seemed quite pleased with its work, clapping its hands in celebration.

Not only was it celebrating its own achievement, but it was also testing a new way to attack.

The muddy soil, soaked by the rain, was churned up by the spiritual energy, forming dark, towering waves that crashed down heavily.

"It's just like Shukaku's power," Kurama muttered with a snort. "Wind and sand."

Naruto observed.

Though the power wasn't on par with that of a captain, it was stronger than what many vice-captains could muster. Once this "little tanuki" grew in strength, even if it didn't reach Kurama's level, having just ordinary captain-class power would already be quite impressive.

The second and third creatures were created soon after.

With each one, Naruto became more adept, and their appearances became closer to the original Tailed Beasts.

By the time the seventh appeared, Naruto had used up all the Tailed Beast chakra in his possession.

He still lacked the chakra of one Tailed Beast—the Six-Tails. Its jinchūriki was named Utakata, a former ninja of the Mist. Utakata was also a rogue ninja.

Utakata's whereabouts were uncertain, and Naruto hadn't made a concerted effort to search for him. The Hidden Mist hadn't provided any information about him either.

Naruto watched the seven little creatures playing together—though their play wasn't exactly gentle on the surrounding environment. Even a casual swipe of their tails could easily topple tall trees.

Kurama's expression softened slightly.

The scene reminded him of his youth, when the Tailed Beasts had grown up together under the care of the Sage of Six Paths. Though that time was short and now seemed insignificant at his current age, it had been one of the happiest periods of his life, aside from the recent time spent in the Soul Society.

Naruto swung his sword.

The seven little Tailed Beasts transformed into beams of light, merging into the sword. However, the Tailed Beast chakra remained separate and didn't enter the sword along with the little creatures.

But this wasn't bad news—the Tailed Beast chakra didn't revert to its original form. Instead, it remained connected to the sword, transforming into seven small masks that hung from the sword's hilt.

This gave Naruto a sense of familiarity.

The sword used by *Kurama* in its earlier form had been adorned with nine red ribbons. However, after evolving into *Kurama*, that decoration had disappeared.

Had it returned in a new form now?

Naruto swung the sword again, releasing the seven creatures. They buzzed and chirped, resuming their playful antics, unaffected by their brief "sealing" inside the sword.

Kurama jumped back onto Naruto's shoulder and whispered, "Naruto, I think you should use my chakra to create a body for me too."

Naruto tilted his head, puzzled. "Why?"

"You can use Kurama's power just fine even when I'm outside. It doesn't affect anything."

Kurama shook his head. "That's not it… it's just…"

"Remember? We Tailed Beasts have a unique way of communicating with each other."

Naruto nodded.

When they had met Isobu in the Mist, Kurama had used this ability. Even without face-to-face communication, he had been able to call out to the Three-Tails.

"In fact, we Tailed Beasts share a common inner world," Kurama continued. "When we were young, we used that power often."

"We don't use it much anymore, not just because we've grown older."

"So, I was thinking… if you create creatures based on our power, maybe they'll have the same ability."

Naruto pondered this.

The Tailed Beasts shared a connected inner world?

This was the first time he had heard of such a thing.

He accepted Kurama's chakra, continuing to ask, "Could you use this method to contact the Six-Tails?"

"Since it's the only one missing."

Kurama grumbled, "Do you think I haven't tried? Do you need to remind me about something so simple?"

"It's just…"

"There's been no response."

Naruto nodded and channeled the power of *Yin-Yang Release*, creating a physical form once more.

Kurama stood to the side, offering suggestions and making adjustments. Although this creation wasn't identical to himself, Kurama still wanted his avatar to look good.

It took half an hour to mold a fox that Kurama was satisfied with.

Naruto infused it with power, bringing it to life.

The little fox, like the other Tailed Beast creations, possessed the power of its origin, capable of using *Yin-Yang Release*.

However…

Its use of *Yin-Yang Release* was far inferior to Kurama's.

Its power wasn't strong enough to create something from nothing or grant life to the formless.

Nevertheless, it was the only one among the small Tailed Beasts to reach "captain-class" power. It wasn't very strong, but Naruto estimated that its power was comparable to a Zanpakutō in *Bankai* form.

Its vitality was immense, and its regenerative abilities were only slightly weaker than Kurama's.

It also possessed mental abilities, able to cast some forms of illusion and even control others' bodies. If Karin relied only on her Shinigami powers, she wouldn't be able to resist the little fox's control.

In another way, Kurama had been correct.

This little creature did indeed share the same inner world. In a very brief moment, their spiritual pressure even synchronized, exceeding that of an average captain.

"I'm still the strongest," Kurama said, eyeing the sword in Naruto's hand with a pleased grin.

Naruto swung the sword, sending the creatures back inside. Several small masks dangled from the hilt.

They were the creations of *Kurama*, and returning to the sword wasn't the same as being sealed. Naruto could sense them inside the blade, where they had transformed into pure spiritual energy and fallen into a deep slumber.

In the space between life and death.

The air rippled, and Obito slowly appeared.

Madara Uchiha had brought him here before, so he was familiar with how to enter this place.

"Have you gathered all the Tailed Beast chakra?" Madara Uchiha asked.

Obito spread his hands and shook his head. "The Eight-Tails is really troublesome."

"It's very close to its jinchūriki, and they're always together."

"But…"

"Not every jinchūriki is as difficult to deal with as Naruto Uzumaki."

With a clattering sound, seven scrolls fell from his hands.

The Six-Tails had already been sealed.

These were the remaining seven Tailed Beasts, excluding the Nine-Tails.

"Kabuto," Obito turned to the third figure, "the chakra of the Nine-Tails is up to you."

~~~

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