Chapter 16: Let Me Vent a Bit

...

The internship takes place a week later.

There are no accompanying teachers. It is led by the top students from the sixth-year class.

The Seireitei is silent and somber, and the "Senkaimon" standing in the corner is no exception.

A vast, open "gladiator arena"-style space.

A straight, wide azure path leads to a vermilion gate with golden calligraphic inscriptions.

That is the "portal" from the Soul Society to the Human World.

At the start of the path, the group of intern students has gathered. A senior male student speaks up "Don't be nervous about going to the Human World this time."

"The town we're going to is called Akita, not a high-spiritual area."

"Even if we encounter Hollows, they'll just be newborn, weak ones."

"The souls we'll be performing Soul Burial on, and the Shinigami stationed there, are already prepared for us..."

He continues on, eloquent and long-winded. Naruto's thoughts are restless, not really listening attentively.

Akita? 

He's never heard of it.

It sounds like an ordinary town, not a shinobi village. 

He doesn't know if it's within the borders of the Land of Fire either. The "Land of Fire" is the country that rules over Konoha.

The other countries like the Land of Water and Land of Wind, he's only heard of, not familiar with.

As he ponders, the senior's words reach their conclusion "After completing the Soul Burial, please return to the summoning point immediately."

The massive crimson gate slowly, silently slides open. Gentle white light bursts forth. The senior raises his hand, a black Hell Butterfly alighting on his fingertip "Follow the group."

"Without the guidance of a Hell Butterfly in the Dangai, it would be very dangerous."

...

The Human World, a clear night sky.

In the forest, a white speck first flickers, then rapidly expands into a four-cornered star, and the Senkaimon appears in a flash of white light, gradually opening.

A group of Shinigami students exit from it, chattering and discussing.

As Naruto looks around, the trees are sparse, unable to block the view of the sky.

This place... should not be the Land of Fire. The trees around Konoha are tall and lush, these are merely "saplings" in comparison.

"Alright, let's begin." the senior lightly claps his hands.

The rest of the students scatter, going to find their assigned souls.

Naruto doesn't move.

The senior inquires "Uzumaki, what's wrong?"

"Senior, what country is this?" Naruto asks curiously, prepared to hear answers like "Land of Wind" or "Land of Lightning."

The senior looks puzzled "Why do you want to know that?"

"This is Japan."

Shinigami usually don't have much interest in the Human World.

Even most commoner Shinigami from the Rukongai are typically "second-generation" souls - children born from the union of two souls.

But considering this junior who is known throughout the Shin'ō Academy for his immense spiritual power even before arriving in the Soul Society, it's not surprising he would ask such a question.

"Japan?" Naruto is taken aback, "Is it close to the Land of Fire?"

This is a country name he's never heard before.

The senior blinks "Land of Fire?"

"I'm sorry, Uzumaki, I've never heard of that country."

Naruto's eyes widen, the unease he had before the internship now blossoming "How can that be, the Land of Fire is the most powerful country."

The senior smiles slightly "The most powerful? I don't know much about the Human World, but the strongest human countries don't seem to have that name."

Naruto nods reluctantly "I see, I understand."

"Maybe the Land of Fire is just the name of a village." the senior says gently, consoling him. "When you came to the Soul Society, you were still young, so you might have remembered it wrong."

Naruto grins at him "Mm, thank you, senior."

He's the last to leave.

He doesn't immediately go find the soul he's supposed to perform Soul Burial on.

The identity of a "Shinigami" affords him many conveniences - ordinary humans without spiritual power cannot see or sense him, allowing him to freely roam human dwellings, perusing books and gathering information.

The scenery here is lovely. 

The sea of clouds, the forests, the hot springs...

But Naruto has no heart to appreciate these.

He soon finds a world map at a local residence.

"Japan" is just a small patch on the map.

The land area is far less expansive than he imagined, but there is no country named the "Land of Fire" to be found.

As for traces of "Shinobi"...

He does find them, but they are vastly different from Naruto's impression of Shinobi - although they engage in "Espionage", "Information Gathering", and "Assassination" work, these "Shinobi" in this world are ordinary people, not to mention lacking both "Chakra" and "Spiritual Power".

They are only distinguished by "factions", not "villages".

Piecing this information together, Naruto can only draw one conclusion:

"Konoha" is not the human world corresponding to the Soul Society. This is a completely different space-time. And he will not find his parents in the Soul Society.

Naruto sits on a tree branch, looking up at the lone, half-obscured crescent moon in the dense clouds.

Feeling like he's akin to it.

...

At the Senkaimon.

The students gradually trickle back.

Performing Soul Burial is not a difficult task, it's just that sometimes the souls' locations are not fixed, requiring some effort to track them down.

It tests one's mastery of "spiritual sensing".

"Uzumaki still hasn't returned?" When most have gathered, the senior scans the crowd, missing that conspicuous golden head.

"No, he hasn't."

"I saw Uzumaki in the east, he seems to still be searching for the soul."

The senior furrows his brow. Unruly souls, difficult to locate, are indeed a hassle. Many souls turn into "Hollows" precisely because they wander aimlessly, the Shinigami unable to find them in time.

But... with Naruto's abilities, he shouldn't be taking this long.

Whether it's the Headmaster or the teachers, they all say Naruto's skills in various areas are at the lieutenant level now. He shouldn't have to worry.

However, the expression on Naruto's face when he asked that question earlier makes him concerned.

No matter how powerful, he is still a child under fifty years old. The senior hesitates, wondering if he should go look for Naruto.

Just then, several strong, evil spiritual pressures suddenly burst out from the side startling him, and he looks over anxiously.

Two monstrous, ghastly creatures with white bone masks on their faces abruptly run and fly out from the forest, their target clearly the group of Shinigami students.

"Watch out, Hollows are attacking!" a senior student shouts.

The students are in a panic. Their experience in battling "Hollows" is insufficient.

["Hado #4: Byakurai!"] {Pale Lightning}

Yet...

The white lightning bolt flashes, striking one of the Hollows, but it doesn't even manage to pierce its skin.

That Hollow lets out a mocking, hissing laugh, as if deriding the attack as pathetically weak.

"They're Hollows!" a senior's voice trembles, "Call for backup!"

"Can't." another shakes his head, the Hell Butterfly in his hand quivering feebly,

"Communications are jammed, we can't send a distress call."

Hearing this, many turn to look around.

Jammed?

How is that possible?

During the internship, the students are supposed to maintain constant communication with the Soul Society, without exception.

"Delicious spiritual power." one Hollow suddenly lunges towards the group, snatching up a Shinigami student, its voice greedy.

That is... a craving for food.

As the senior draws his sword, fearlessly charging forward and wounding its arm. A few other senior students also react, uniting their Kido chants.

["Hado #12: Fushibi!"] {Ambush Flare}

Thick orange fire ropes surge forth, binding the Hollow's arm and forcing it to drop the student it was holding.

Sizzling and smoke rise.

But these injuries are not fatal, only causing the Hollow pain, and it easily tears through the fire ropes with a violent struggle. Its claws swipe out again.

The senior who charged in is sent flying. The Hollow curls its body, lunging forward to devour him.

"Senior!" someone shrieks in anguish, voice strained and desperate.

In the nick of time, a crimson spiritual energy fireball strikes the Hollow, knocking it back and exploding.

The Hollow lets out a howl of agony. Thick black liquid drips from its body.

Senior recognizes this as [Hado #31: Shakkaho] {Red Fire Cannon}, a spell they are unable to unleash.

But who used it?

The answer immediately presents itself in his mind.

"Uzumaki." someone has already called out.

They follow the spiritual pressure, spotting the young blond boy on a tree.

The crescent moon behind him provides a softened backdrop.

"Sorry, I got a bit distracted, took me a while to come back." he slowly lowers his hand, eyes steely, "Hollows, huh?"

"This is my first time fighting these creatures."

"So let's..."

Naruto says, drawing the "Kyūbi", swinging the blade forward "Vent a bit."

He vanishes in a blur of shunpo.

The students can only see a "golden flash" passing by.

Immediately after, the Hollow's body splits in two.

...

[Notes: What's wrong with WebNovel's Desktop Webpage from past couple of days. Doesn't load properly for most of the time. And they even removed WebNovel Forum.]