Naruto raised his blade and slashed down.
Clashing metal rang out as sparks flew.
At first, Kaname Tōsen could barely keep up, but as Naruto continued his strikes, his blade grew faster and more powerful.
Being blind, Tōsen naturally had a disadvantage in close combat.
And his spiritual pressure was weaker than Naruto's.
In just a few moments, his lack of skill was exposed—he was overwhelmed and struggling.
"Is this all you've got?" Naruto spoke coldly, "No wonder you always hide in the shadows."
"With strength like this, who could you possibly defeat?"
A few more slashes landed.
Tōsen's body was quickly covered in fresh wounds, bleeding freely.
Whether in swordsmanship, Shunpo, spiritual pressure, or combat instinct—
He was being completely crushed by Naruto.
They weren't even on the same level.
"Captain Uzumaki," Tōsen said calmly, still confident, "You're a genius."
"Maybe in a few decades, I won't be able to keep up with you no matter what."
"But right now—"
"There's still a massive gap between us."
Tōsen raised his blade.
"Captain Uzumaki, up until now, you were a good man."
"But for the sake of true justice, I have no choice but to eliminate you here."
"Perish in a world stripped of your senses."
"Bankai—"
"Suzumushi Tsuishiki: Enma Kōrogi."
His blade gave a faint hum. The circular guard detached from the sword, split into nine pieces, and flew in all directions.
A massive barrier formed.
Darker than night, it devoured the entire space in an instant.
Naruto's body froze.
Suddenly, everything went silent. He couldn't see a thing, and even his ability to sense spiritual pressure vanished.
"Loss of the Five Senses."
So this was what it felt like.
Tōsen relaxed and approached Naruto, speaking softly, "A world of dark, silent ignorance… terrifying, isn't it?"
"Soul Society is even darker than this."
"Not that you can hear me, I suppose."
He stopped in front of Naruto, lifting his blade.
"Then let me show you how terrifying darkness can be."
He swung down.
CLANG—
But his slash was blocked—precisely and cleanly.
Tōsen was shocked.
How was this possible? How could Naruto block his attack under these conditions?
Inner World.
"He's right in front of you. His killing intent is strong," Kurama spoke, clearly annoyed. "Hurry up and take care of him."
"My senses are sealed too."
Kurama's senses were tied to Naruto's, so within this barrier, it too was suppressed.
But their communication came from within, not through physical senses—so they could still "speak."
Naruto grinned.
He chanted the release phrase and activated his Shikai.
Golden body, six arms—radiant light burst forth, dispelling a sliver of the darkness.
But—
No one could see that light.
Tōsen was blind.
And Naruto had been stripped of his vision by the Bankai.
The loss of his senses didn't shake him. Without hesitation, he thrust with Ashura.
Straight ahead.
Tōsen barely dodged.
"Right side this time," Kurama instructed again.
Naruto slashed, hands moving rapidly.
Two other hands came together—golden chains shot out, flailing in every direction.
Tōsen desperately defended.
The pressure on him was growing unbearable.
Even after activating Bankai, the battle hadn't changed much. Kurama's guidance made Naruto's attacks slightly delayed…
But even with that delay—
Naruto's swordsmanship still surpassed Tōsen's.
What made things worse for Tōsen—Naruto was rapidly adapting to this "sensory deprivation" environment. Kurama's help grew more precise.
Besides, only his five senses were lost—touch remained.
Feedback from the golden chains allowed Naruto to mentally construct a detailed image of the battlefield.
Where the enemy was, what move he'd use next, and how Naruto would respond—
He knew it all.
Several rounds later—
Kyūbi slashed Tōsen's shoulder. Ashura pierced his abdomen.
Tōsen's spiritual pressure collapsed. The barrier shattered.
The five senses returned.
Naruto, holding twin blades, looked calmly at the man across from him: "Even with Bankai, this is all you've got?"
"No need to wait decades—you're already far beneath me."
"Your power is even uglier than your words."
Now that the barrier was gone, Naruto could clearly feel Tōsen's spiritual pressure. Even with a five-to-ten-fold boost from Bankai, he was still only at third-tier spiritual might.
In Naruto's inner world, Kurama spoke: "This aura… this malice…"
"It's the same person who attacked you during the captains' Hollowfication."
Naruto wasn't surprised. He approached Tōsen and asked softly: "Tell me who's controlling you."
"Was it that man?"
"You know who I mean."
Before the fight, Naruto had doubts—could this be the real culprit behind the captains' persecution?
But after clashing with him, all doubts vanished.
This man's blade could strip away the senses.
And he was indeed the one who had struck Naruto that day.
But he absolutely couldn't be the mastermind.
Even having his Bankai broken didn't shake Tōsen much.
But that question—
Shattered his composure. His face twisted in shock.
"You're too weak," Naruto said calmly, stating a fact. "This ability couldn't possibly have affected Captain Hirako and the others."
"You're not capable."
Whether in strength or intellect—
Tōsen didn't measure up.
Someone this inferior could never corner Kisuke Urahara.
Tōsen's face slowly recovered, his voice leveled out: "So you really are the biggest obstacle on the path to justice."
"I once naively thought you could be a comrade."
"What a shame, Captain Uzumaki."
"Then let me show you the power of ultimate evolution."
He raised his sword again.
A milky fluid surged from within him, forming a mask that completely covered his face.
At the same time Naruto and Tōsen fought—
The other Hollows were already taken care of.
Two captains and several squad members gathered.
"Tōsen!" Komamura roared, eyes blazing with fury. "You've sunk to this level!"
Naruto reached out with a sealing hand: "Four Symbols Seal!"
But—
In that moment, Tōsen's spiritual pressure exploded.
He vanished and reappeared several body-lengths away.
"It's useless," Tōsen said softly, placing a hand on his chest. "I'm not like those defective ones."
"They were passive recipients."
"But I embraced it willingly."
"This is the evolution of a Soul Reaper!"
As he spoke, he pulled his hand away.
His body looked like it was dissolving, revealing a hollow hole the size of a fist.
A "vanished heart"—along with the "mask"—a signature trait of Hollows.
The Soul Reapers watched in shock and fear.
A mask. A Hollow hole.
Right before their eyes, a captain who had mastered Bankai willingly became a terrifying, monstrous Hollow.
So he was the one who attacked Squad Six?
The one who caused their Hollowfication and deaths?
Tōsen raised his sword.
Naruto charged in once again.
After becoming a Hollow, Tōsen's spiritual pressure had increased slightly.
But his foundation was weak. Even with the boost, he wasn't much stronger.
His spiritual pressure still hadn't surpassed third-tier.
Moreover, there was no fundamental change—his blindness remained.
Naruto's strikes continued to land.
Tōsen, furious and embarrassed, leapt into the air and opened his mouth: "Then try this power!"
Spiritual particles gathered before his mouth, forming a glowing black light.
Naruto immediately recognized it.
It was the attack used by Menos Grande.
After turning into a Hollow—
He'd even gained access to Cero?
Naruto opened his own mouth.
Six arms reached forward to help, gathering spiritual energy—
A Tailed Beast Bomb began to form.
But moments later—
Tōsen's body suddenly twisted. The power of Hollow and Soul Reaper had never balanced within him properly, and Cero—being a compressed energy technique—completely destabilized him.
The blast never launched.
Instead, it detonated inside him like a time bomb.
His head was turned to ashes.
Only a corpse remained, drifting gently to the ground.
Naruto dispersed the Tailed Beast Bomb, looked at the body, and waved his hand. Golden chains shot out and seized it.
He turned his head to look at Sōsuke Aizen.
That man stood among the crowd, Gin Ichimaru by his side. He adjusted his glasses and smiled back warmly, unbothered by Naruto's glare.
"Form up. Report to the Captain-Commander," Naruto said, sealing the corpse.
Aizen and Gin slowly walked at the back of the group.
"Aizen-taichō is so heartless," Gin chuckled brightly. "Poor Tōsen. Never realized he was abandoned from the start."
Aizen said softly, "A foolish and weak man cannot bear the cost of walking with us."
"Being denied a mistaken path—"
"That is his greatest contribution."
"But Naruto seems to have realized it was you," Gin drawled, "The way he looked at you in the end—absolutely terrifying, like he wanted to eat you alive."
Aizen smiled: "I was the one who told him."
"If he couldn't recognize that clue, Captain Uzumaki would be truly disappointing."
"Shall we go see him tonight?"
Gin turned around.
The fog from the battle had cleared, leaving behind only devastation.
"Captain Uzumaki still trusts me."
"And Aizen-taichō already wants to throw me away?"
(End of Chapter)