"Hmm? Have I stumbled upon something interesting?" Aizen, having just appeared in the seal space, wore a playful expression.
"Naruto's first... kill?"
He pushed up his glasses, his eyes brimming with anticipation.
"A fledgling hawk that hasn't experienced life and death is ultimately just a fledgling. With the painful experiences of your childhood, will you become someone who sinks into and enjoys slaughter, or someone who controls slaughter?"
Aizen sat quietly on the mountain peak, letting the cold wind brush past the tips of his downcast hair.
His thoughts gradually drifted far away.
The number of times he had come to the seal space had been decreasing, precisely because he had been too busy during this period.
In Naruto, he saw the potential for simultaneous cultivation of chakra and Reiatsu.
And it was because of this that he had already begun chakra experiments on some Shinigami.
He first found a mind-controlled human puppet in the world of the living, had it cultivate chakra, and then used special means to extract the chakra into a container.
Then, through a series of minor tricks, he made several Shinigami "disappear from the face of the earth" and injected the extracted chakra into their bodies.
However, what troubled him was that these Shinigami, who had chakra forcibly injected into them, all experienced varying degrees of bodily decay in a short period.
The luckier Shinigami didn't experience bodily changes, but the chakra within them would also disappear within a short time.
From the currently known experimental results, Shinigami, whose bodies are composed of Reishi, are unable to cultivate chakra.
From what Naruto had learned of the chakra system:
Chakra is a product of the even mixing of spiritual energy and physical energy.
Chakra flows through the body's meridians, forming a perfect balance.
Does this mean that only those with human flesh can cultivate chakra? Aizen had too many questions in his heart.
All of these needed to be answered through Naruto.
In the world of Shinigami, the souls of humans after death go to Soul Society or turn into Hollows.
What about the Naruto world then? Coincidentally, Naruto was also pondering matters related to souls.
In his past communications with Aizen, he had learned about Shinigami and Hollows, who possessed Reiatsu.
People with lingering attachments have a certain chance of turning into Hollows after death.
This was different from the ninja world.
At least, currently, there were no unofficial historical records proving that people might undergo different kinds of mutations after death.
Moreover, in the world of Shinigami, humans cannot see Shinigami or Hollows.
Even if Hollows truly existed in the ninja world, no human would be able to see them.
But Naruto was different.
Cultivating Reiatsu, he was half a Shinigami and could naturally see some non-natural entities.
This mission was also a testing opportunity for him.
Where do human souls go after death?
Is there a possibility of becoming a Shinigami?
These were all very interesting subjects.
Thinking of this, Naruto couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation.
"Swish, swish, swish."
Several figures flashed under the moonlight, accompanied by a slight sound of parting air.
Only gently swaying leaves were left behind.
Within the town.
The sentinels on night watch were also inevitably somewhat fatigued.
They weren't ninja, after all, and didn't possess such high levels of vigilance.
Besides, this town had been conquered for at least four days now; slacking off for a day wouldn't cause any problems.
The town was silent. But if one closed their eyes and listened carefully, strange sounds could occasionally be heard coming from the rooms.
This was a common tactic of bandits.
After conquering a town, they would indulge in wanton enjoyment, and when they grew tired of it, they would kill.
"Swish, swish." Several dark figures flitted past. A night watch bandit groggily rubbed his eyes, thinking it was an illusion.
But the next moment, he only felt a cold sensation on his neck. His eyes widened; he dazedly touched his neck. The touch was warm; some viscous liquid was continuously flowing down. Enemy attack! He clutched his throat but couldn't make a sound. In his dying moment, his unfocused pupils saw a dark figure appear before him, its eyes cold and merciless.
"Click." Sasuke withdrew his hand, wiping the blood from his kunai.
Though it was his first time killing someone, his mood was surprisingly calm.
Itachi, did you feel this way when you slaughtered our kin?
Sasuke's eyes turned cold. He vanished from the spot, heading towards his second target.
"Sasuke is a natural-born ninja," Kakashi, observing from the shadows, thought to himself.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Naruto had already approached the house where the leader was located.
Chakra was evenly spread on the soles of his feet, allowing him to stand firmly on the ceiling, observing the sleeping leader upside down.
At this moment, the leader was bare-chested and fast asleep, snoring loudly.
Naruto could sense the extremely faint chakra within the leader's body.
Once, this leader was also a ninja, perhaps.
Naruto hung upside down like a bat, his eyes coldly observing the leader, his gentle expression gone.
In the ninja world, the most powerful were the strong individuals in the ninja villages. But for civilians, the most dangerous were these ants, so weak that the strong wouldn't even deign to crush them.
It was precisely because they were weak that they would be even more evil.
Naruto had once learned from his "modern world knowledge" that strict laws could restrain these weak individuals, reduce crime rates, and at least allow civilians to live relatively peaceful lives.
Unlike in the ninja world, where the defenseless weak lived under constant threat.
The strong disdained to actively protect the weak; only benefits would motivate them.
Just like the current Naruto.
If not for the mission, he wouldn't have come here to help YoruNegai Town, which had been overrun by bandits.
"Hum." With a soft hum from the blade, Kyoka Suigetsu appeared in Naruto's hand, glinting with a faint green light under the dim moonlight.
With just a gentle swing, a living life would pass.
That intoxicating feeling of controlling the length of a life.
However, Naruto's eyes instantly regained their clarity.
Only the weak would indulge in slaughter.
The dark green blade flashed across the leader's neck.
The room returned to silence. The leader's body showed no sign of movement; only his chest no longer rose and fell. At first glance, he seemed to still be immersed in a quiet and peaceful dream.
"Swish."
Naruto sheathed his sword. Its still pristine surface reflected his thick glasses and the pair of calm eyes hidden behind them.
"So boring," he murmured softly. "Crushing a humble ant only brings endless emptiness. This isn't what I want."
He looked at the cold moonlight outside the window, a trace of enjoyment finally appearing in his eyes. "Tonight's moonlight... is exceptionally captivating."
Just then, Naruto noticed a faint glow suddenly emanating from the deceased leader's body. Then, a luminous soul-form slowly emerged from the corpse.
This is a soul?! Naruto's eyes beneath his glasses filled with surprise and joy.
Aizen, within the seal space, also widened his eyes.
"I want to live! I still want more money!" The leader's lingering attachments suddenly flooded Naruto's mind.
"I want to lead my men to keep searching for a suitable place to live, to build a paradise!"
"Damn ninjas! I want to eliminate those evil ninja villages!"
The leader's voice was filled with anger and resentment.
One who resents devils ultimately becomes a devil in the eyes of others.
Naruto's eyes turned cold. Strands of Reiatsu seeped out from his body, flowing into the leader's soul.
Since that's the case, I'll give you one chance. Become my experimental subject.