Chapter 145: Sinners

The wind chilled the sky, making it cold.

The little girl stood on tiptoe, observing everything around her.

"Where are we going next?" She glanced back at the "home" behind her, which was colder than the outside world and as lifeless as a corpse, her tone carrying a hint of confusion.

They had been standing at the door for over ten minutes.

The man who had "rescued" her hadn't shown any intention of taking her elsewhere.

Tsunayashiro Tokinada grinned. "Don't be in such a hurry."

"We're waiting for someone."

The little girl lowered her head, her tone showing little disappointment. "Dad probably won't be back yet."

"He said he wouldn't return for a few more days."

Tsunayashiro Tokinada shook his head. "The person we're waiting for isn't your dad."

The little girl remained puzzled.

The man with dark green hair suddenly raised his head, a vague smile on his face as he softly said, "He's here."

The little girl followed his gaze and looked into the distance.

But she saw nothing, only a brilliant flash of light that flickered and then vanished.

The golden light shone brightly and landed before them.

"Captain Uzumaki," Tsunayashiro Tokinada greeted him cheerfully. "How nice to see you here."

Naruto ignored him, as if the man's presence was no more significant than a fly's buzz.

He turned his head to look at the little girl, sensing the power within her—a mixture of "Soul King power" and a small portion of "Hollow power." He asked, "Are you Aura Michibane?"

"I'm a friend of your father's, and he asked me to come get you."

As he spoke, he pulled something from his pocket—a ring.

"You recognize this, right?" Naruto's smile was gentle. "It's the tool your father uses for his Fullbring."

"It proves that I'm telling the truth."

Aura Michibane remained silent.

Tsunayashiro Tokinada chuckled and waved his hand. "Captain Uzumaki, you're late."

"This little girl has already agreed to come with me."

Naruto turned to him. "Shut up."

Tsunayashiro Tokinada laughed merrily. "I can't stay silent, not after all the trouble I went through just to meet you here."

Naruto raised his hand. "I can make you pay an even higher price."

Spiritual pressure surged, and golden chains flew forward.

With a swift sound, they bound Tsunayashiro Tokinada's limbs and pinned him against the wall.

"You resort to violence so quickly." Tsunayashiro Tokinada's eyes gleamed, and his excitement only seemed to grow. "Captain Uzumaki, you really hold a deep grudge against the Tsunayashiro Clan, don't you?"

Naruto shook his head. "Revulsion for something as disgusting as a maggot isn't a grudge."

Tsunayashiro Tokinada nodded as if in agreement. "Maggot? That's quite an apt and clever description."

Naruto narrowed his eyes.

Is this man... unhinged?

"Let's talk about something serious," Tsunayashiro Tokinada suggested, trying to move but failing as his limbs were restrained. He could only shake his head. "For example... the secret of the Fullbringers."

"Aren't you curious why the Tsunayashiro Clan is so interested in them?"

Naruto coldly responded, "Because of the Soul King's power?"

"As expected, you already know." Tsunayashiro Tokinada grinned. "That's right, it's because of that."

"But let me correct a mistake you've made."

"The thing inside them isn't the Soul King's power; it's a fragment of the Soul King."

Naruto's pupils widened.

What does that mean? "Power" and "fragments" are entirely different concepts.

The latter sounds... like pieces of a corpse.

"This is knowledge you won't learn anywhere in the Soul Society." Tsunayashiro Tokinada was pleased with Naruto's reaction, his tone growing more excited and exuberant. "It's also a secret the Tsunayashiro Clan has kept hidden for centuries."

"So let me, as your teacher, give you a lesson."

"Where should I begin?"

He looked at Naruto provocatively.

Naruto held back, choosing not to strike again.

Tsunayashiro Tokinada continued, "Countless years ago, the world was a chaotic place, with no progress or regression."

"Everything was part of the cycle of reishi, even the Hollows."

"At some point, the Hollows suddenly awakened and began devouring souls and reishi. If things had continued that way, the entire world would have become one giant Hollow."

"It was then that the Soul King was born, who destroyed that Hollow."

"And it was during this time that five sinners emerged, who wanted to use the Soul King's power to divide the world."

"So they ambushed the Soul King and sealed him."

"Using the Soul King as a keystone, they divided the world, creating the three realms as we know them today."

"The world of reishi, the Soul Society."

"The world of matter, the World of the Living."

"And the desert land of exile for the Hollows, Hueco Mundo."

Naruto took a deep breath.

The "five sinners"—are they the "Five Great Noble Families"?

In Naruto's mind, Aizen's words echoed once again: "Everything in the Soul Society is born from sin."

"But there's more," Tsunayashiro Tokinada clicked his tongue, producing a repulsive sound. "Those five sinners feared the power of the Soul King."

"They worried that one day he might break the seal with his own strength and destroy them."

"So, they came up with a solution—not to let the Soul King live, nor to kill him."

"Instead, they severed his arms, gouged out his heart, cut off his legs, and removed his internal organs."

"They tore them apart and scattered the fragments across the world."

"The fragments of the Soul King inside the Fullbringers came from this."

Naruto looked at him.

The "fragments of the Soul King" were indeed literal pieces of a corpse.

A twisted, chaotic smile spread across Tsunayashiro Tokinada's face.

"Why are you telling me this?" Naruto asked, taking a deep breath.

Tsunayashiro Tokinada tilted his head. "Do you know how the Tsunayashiro Clan reacted when they realized you had caught on to their actions?"

Naruto didn't respond.

"They abandoned me, using me to make one last attempt," he continued, his tone cold and detached, as if describing the experience of a stranger. "Whether I succeeded or failed, I was to become a scapegoat."

"A pawn sacrificed to silence you Shinigami."

"Of course..."

"The Tsunayashiro Clan won't feel guilty about it. After all, they're a family born from sin."

"That's why I've decided to use them as my own pawns."

Naruto reminded him, "But you are also a Tsunayashiro."

Tsunayashiro Tokinada admitted freely, "Yes, which makes me a born sinner."

"I'm curious, how did you learn about this and take precautions?"

"Did someone provoke you?"

Naruto didn't answer.

"Is the identity of the provocateur inconvenient to reveal?" Tsunayashiro Tokinada shook his head. "It doesn't matter who it was."

"Let me thank them here."

"If it weren't for them, who knows how long it would have taken for me to make this decision."

Naruto narrowed his eyes.

What decision?

"Of course, the reason I'm telling you all this," Tsunayashiro Tokinada continued, "aside from those minor details, is mainly because I find you interesting."

"People as righteous as you are rare in the Soul Society."

"And you're not like Tōsen Kaname, who uses grandiose reasons to cover up his inner darkness and filth."

He paused, his grin growing more sinister. "I'm also curious to see how you'll respond."

"My beloved's answer was not at all interesting."

"Captain Uzumaki, show me something exciting."

Naruto frowned, his gaze filled with disgust. "The beloved you're referring to—is it that woman named Kakyo?"

"Who else could it be?" Tsunayashiro Tokinada replied calmly.

Naruto shook his head. "I can't believe you would say such things."

Tsunayashiro Tokinada remained composed, almost self-righteous. "Kakyo also had a fragment of the Soul King inside her. When she fell into the hands of the Tsunayashiro Clan, what do you think happened to her?"

"I killed her to give her relief."

"And that woman—she was so naïve."

"Even after learning of her fate, she felt no pain and could even say she came to 'save me.'"

"Heh."

"What will you do?"

"Will you, like that naïve woman, try to clear the clouds so others can see the stars?"

Naruto gripped his sword.

Tsunayashiro Tokinada continued to laugh, "Are you already at your limit?"

"Captain Uzumaki."

"Are you going to kill me?"

"I won't fully believe your one-sided story," Naruto replied calmly without drawing his sword. "Maybe the truth is somewhat like what you described."

"But—"

He thought of Shihōin Yoruichi, Shiba Kaien, Shiba Isshin, Kuchiki Ginrei, and Kuchiki Byakuya.

Though they were part of the "Five Great Noble Families," the descendants of the "five sinners" Tsunayashiro Tokinada mentioned, the aura they carried was entirely different from the chaotic, sinful presence of the Tsunayashiro Clan.

Moreover, the Tsunayashiro Clan had always opposed the Shiba clan.

"I believe there are those who would make a completely different choice than you," Naruto stated, his face expressionless.

He stepped closer to Tsunayashiro Tokinada. "I won't just clear the clouds to reveal the stars."

"I will become the sun."

"And you maggots will burn away in its scorching light."

Tsunayashiro Tokinada frowned, his expression twisted as his interest waned. "Do you still want to protect this sinful Soul Society?"

"I want to protect my friends, my senpais, and my kohais," Naruto responded without hesitation.

"Light and darkness coexist."

"The darkness should be eliminated, not the light destroyed along with it."

"I have enough patience to identify and root out scum like you, one by one."

He paused, his tone growing more serious as he extended his hand, sealing techniques forming in his palm.

"I won't kill you for now."

"Next, I will uncover the truth behind all of this."

"And then, I will cast judgment upon you and the other sinners."

"You will become the pillars that uphold this world."

"Just as your ancestors once did to the Soul King."

~~~

I split the 5k words on the latest Chapter to deliver 2 Chapters here in Public! Hopefully the Patreons don't scold me hahaha.

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