Kuchiki Ginrei drew his sword.
"Shikai is about gaining recognition from your inner power."
"Bankai, however, is about truly mastering that inner power."
His gaze swept over the four people in front of him as he calmly said, "Each Zanpakutō has a different personality."
"But the initial step is always the same."
"That is to manifest your Zanpakutō and then subjugate it."
"I already know about Byakuya's situation."
"What about the three of you? How far have you gotten?"
Ichimaru Gin raised his hand and asked with a smiling face, "Excuse me, by 'manifestation,' do you mean seeing the true form of the Zanpakutō in your inner world?"
Naruto was also somewhat puzzled.
Kuchiki Ginrei shook his head. "Of course not."
"Manifestation means that while conversing with the spirit of your Zanpakutō, you no longer need to enter your inner world."
"Instead, you summon the Zanpakutō spirit into our world."
Naruto was stunned.
Summoning the sword spirit into the real world?
"Is that even possible?" Ichimaru Gin lifted his sword.
Ginrei calmly continued, "Of course it is."
He glanced at Naruto and then at Ichimaru Gin.
These two geniuses both seemed to be from the Rukongai.
As for this Ninth Division Vice-Captain Tōsen Kaname—he hadn't heard much about him before, but most likely, he was also from Rukongai.
He thought for a moment and then said, "There may be things you've never heard of."
"Do you know the difference between Reiryoku (spiritual pressure) and Reiatsu (spiritual power)?"
Naruto and the others shook their heads.
The terms "Reiryoku" and "Reiatsu" weren't unfamiliar—people heard about Reiatsu more often, while Reiryoku was mostly mentioned during enrollment or when a captain was appointed. However, their actual difference wasn't clearly explained in the Shin'ō Academy textbooks.
"Reiatsu is the term we use most commonly now," Ginrei explained. "It measures the intensity of a person's spiritual power."
"Whereas Reiryoku measures the density of spiritual particles."
"The reason third-grade Reiryoku is the standard for becoming a captain—"
"—is because at that level, the density of spiritual particles crosses a critical threshold and transforms in quality."
Naruto looked thoughtful.
He had learned about the "three states of matter" from Kisuke Urahara.
Now hearing Ginrei's explanation, it all seemed to connect.
So—if Reiryoku was tested during enrollment, that was because only those with spiritual particle density of the twentieth grade or better could become Shinigami.
In that case, perhaps it could be interpreted like this:
People beyond the twentieth grade have spiritual power in a gas-like state; those within the twentieth grade have liquid-like spiritual power; and those above the third grade possess solid-like spiritual power?
"So don't doubt yourselves—you all have this potential," Ginrei continued gently. "But be mentally prepared, even if you are geniuses, this will take a long time."
"Byakuya has been training under me for half a year, and he still hasn't passed the threshold."
Byakuya lowered his head.
Ginrei then began to explain the method of manifestation.
It sounded simple—using one's own spiritual particles to give form to the Zanpakutō in the real world. This had a flavor similar to the techniques of Urahara Kisuke and Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
But the more Naruto listened, the more his brow furrowed.
He had originally thought that the Bankai of a Zanpakutō was a deeper examination of the inner self.
That he could take advantage of this opportunity to carry out the final step of the technique his father left him—defeating the darkness within himself and Kurama.
But… he hadn't expected that the ultimate release of a Zanpakutō would be so grounded in the real world.
His relationship with Kurama was fundamentally different from a Shinigami's typical relationship with their Zanpakutō.
Though he had already released one of the Four-Symbol Seals, another still bound both Kurama and himself.
"The Sixth Division barracks are open to all of you," Ginrei said with a smile. "That's about all I have to say—now, let's begin."
Zanpakutō communion was a technique that required ongoing practice.
It was also the first step toward achieving Bankai.
Naruto entered his inner world. "Kurama, did you hear that?"
"Of course," Kurama replied with some anticipation. "Does this mean I might be able to get out using this method?"
Naruto shook his head. "I don't know, but we can try."
Kurama was no longer so aloof. "I'll do my best to cooperate."
The two of them attempted it together.
But as Ginrei had said, manifestation was extremely difficult. Even though Kurama's power could be drawn from Naruto's body, there was always a barrier that prevented it from forming physically in the real world.
Naruto couldn't determine—
Was the manifestation failing? Or was it interference from the remaining seal?
The others weren't progressing either.
Not even a hint of manifestation appeared.
Until nightfall.
Ginrei reminded them to stop and rest. Training for Bankai had no benefit if rushed—in fact, haste would only slow progress.
Naruto treated them to a meal, and they found a local izakaya in Seireitei.
Being about the same age, they got along easily.
Tōsen Kaname appeared physically mature, but he was only a hundred years older than Naruto—which wasn't a big gap compared to Byakuya and Gin.
After food and drinks, they all returned to their respective divisions.
Naruto sat on the roof of his squad's barracks, looking up at the moon.
He was thinking about "manifestation."
And also about Tōsen Kaname.
"Vice-Captain Tōsen joined the Gotei 13 long before I did," Naruto said to Kurama.
He had a good first impression of Tōsen.
After all, anyone who could befriend a big dog couldn't be all that bad, right?
Even though Tōsen spoke less than Byakuya during dinner, his few words sounded upright and reliable.
"But he is... quite unusual," Naruto added.
Kurama nodded. "His talent is slightly below you three brats."
"I'm not talking about talent." Naruto shook his head. "Do you remember our initial guess?"
Kurama paused, recalling. "You mean the invisible enemy—how their illusions might only affect those who can see?"
Tōsen Kaname was blind.
Naruto nodded. "Exactly. But if that's true—"
"Then Vice-Captain Tōsen would be the perfect counter to that enemy."
Kurama perked up. "Are you planning to bring him along to find that person?"
"He joined the Gotei 13 long before me," Naruto repeated. "If I've noticed him..."
"Then surely that invisible enemy, who's bold enough to attack captains and vice-captains, would've noticed him too."
"Would someone like that really let a blind person capable of resisting his illusions just live freely?"
Unless one of two things was true:
Either the enemy's ability didn't depend on eyesight after all.
Or—
He had already dealt with the problem.
"He's in the Ninth Division," Kurama added. "Now the vice-captain—but probably had a decent rank even back then."
It also remembered—
The first incident occurred in Kensei Muguruma's Ninth Division.
"I'll have Jin'emon prepare the documents," Naruto said, leaping down.
In under three hours—
The report was placed on his desk: the Ninth Division's mission records from that period.
Naruto skimmed through, and when he reached the report from that specific night, his pupils widened.
Twelve years ago, Tōsen Kaname was a fifth seat in the Ninth Division.
He had indeed gone on a mission with Kensei Muguruma, stationed in the district where souls had been disappearing.
That night—
The Ninth Division suffered heavy losses, with nearly thirty squad members dead—including third and fourth seats.
Only three survived.
Captain Kensei Muguruma and Vice-Captain Kuna Mashiro escaped.
And only Tōsen Kaname remained in the division.
This naturally caught the attention of Kyōraku Shunsui, who was in charge of the investigation.
But after interrogation, Tōsen was found to have no suspicious evidence.
He claimed he had been ordered on patrol by his captain that evening, and when he returned, he found the corpses of his comrades and his captain and vice-captain missing.
He saw nothing else.
Squad 8 had investigated the traces left behind, and confirmed his statement.
Because of this, he was acquitted, quickly released, and even promoted to Vice-Captain of the Ninth Division—after all, he was the only senior officer left.
"That many died, and only he survived," Kurama muttered. "Very suspicious."
After reading the file—
Naruto had two suspicions.
One: that the invisible enemy was Tōsen Kaname himself. A blind man whose Zanpakutō targets the sighted—that would make a twisted kind of sense.
Or—
Just as they had first guessed—
The invisible enemy had already recruited Tōsen, turning a problem into an asset.
Ninth Division Barracks
Aizen Sōsuke walked through with Gin, unnoticed by the passing squad members.
At the vice-captain's quarters—
The door opened.
Tōsen stood up.
Sensing the faint spiritual presence of the one entering, he immediately greeted, "Aizen-sama."
"Kaname, I just received some news," Aizen said with a smile. "Naruto-kun has pulled the Ninth Division's mission logs from that period."
Tōsen paused.
"It seems he's starting to notice you." Aizen walked to the wall, opened a long-closed window, and looked up at the moon.
"Even if it's light reflected from something else—it's still light."
"It may not be strong, but it's enough to reveal some of what's been hidden."
(End of Chapter)