Naruto: Sasuke Uchiha Returns from Soul Society

"Do you know what the 'conditions' are for joining Squad Zero?"

Sasuke was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "I don't know."

Although their existence is recorded in the Great Spiritual Book Gallery, there is no information about the specific details of their members or the selection criteria.

It was clearly deliberately hidden.

Yoruichi explained with a smile, "The core condition for joining the Zero Division is that you must have made a landmark contribution to the history of the entire Soul Society and thus gain the approval of the Soul King himself."

The approval of the Spirit King himself?

Sasuke's heart skipped a beat.

According to the records in the Great Spiritual Library, that entity had long been dismembered by the five noble progenitors, leaving only its function as a "wedge" to maintain the balance of the world.

But Yoruichi's words clearly pointed to a completely opposite fact.

Does the Spirit King still possess a sense of self?

In other words, he could clearly foresee everything that was happening in Soul Society?

I just don't know if my appearance counts as a variable.

Yoruichi raised an eyebrow, looked at the stunned Sasuke, and continued, "Let's start with those five 'creators,' for example, have you heard of the name 'True Name Monk'?"

Sasuke silently shook his head.

“Hyosube Ichibei,” Yoruichi uttered the ancient name. “He was the leader of the Zero Division and the first person in Soul Society to ‘name’ everything.”

"name?"

“Hmm.” Yoruichi’s gaze became distant. “Whether it’s place names like ‘Soul Society’ or ‘Seireitei’, or words like ‘Zanpakuto’, ‘Shikai’, and ‘Bankai’ that you mentioned, they were all originally ‘true names’ given by him.”

"He holds the essence of all the 'names' in this world. Anything stained black by his ink will lose its name and thus its power."

These words caused Orochimaru, who had been listening silently, to have an uncontrollable fervor flash in his snake eyes.

Soul Society? Soul King?

What exactly is going on? Why has he never heard of these beings before?

For example...

Yoruichi's gaze fell on Sasuke's black shihachi outfit, and a playful smile appeared on her lips. "The clothes you're wearing."

"'Oori no Ou', Shutara Senjumaru, is the one who created the 'Shiha Suit' and invented the sewing technology of the modern Shinigami."

Sasuke subconsciously glanced down at his sleeve.

A piece of clothing can actually become a stepping stone to promotion?

"Don't underestimate a piece of clothing, kid."

Yoruichi seemed to see through his thoughts and chuckled, "It was she who created this 'Shinigami' outfit, which is enough to withstand the impact of spiritual pressure, and that's how the concept of 'Shinigami' came about."

Yoruichi's introductions continue, including Kirinji Tenjiro's "hot spring therapy" and Hikifune Kiryu's "temporary soul"...

Each name represents a great creation that could change the history of Soul Society.

Sasuke listened quietly, and his understanding of the "Zero Squad" gradually became clearer.

He had initially thought it was just a stronger guard team.

But now it seems that those five people are more like the pillars that built the foundation of the entire Soul Society civilization.

"So, what about the last one?" Sasuke knew that this was the crux of the problem.

"The last one..."

Yoruichi's tone became meaningful as she looked at Sasuke and continued, "He is the man who created the concept of 'Zanpakuto' and forged all the 'Asauchi' in Soul Society."

"'Sword God', Ermeiya Wang Yue."

“In other words…” Sasuke’s voice was a little hoarse.

"Yes."

Yoruichi confirmed his guess and gave a mocking smile.

"The method of forging Zanpakuto was never a secret from the beginning; it was something only he could forge."

She shrugged, her face showing a helpless expression.

"So, you've really asked the wrong person if you're trying to find out from me how to forge a Zanpakuto."

"..."

Chapter 177 Recovering the Kamui Sharingan

"You mean there's no other way?" Sasuke's voice was deep. He looked at Yoruichi, his eyes showing obvious disappointment, but he didn't want to give up.

If the method of forging Zanpakuto is truly monopolized by that so-called "Sword God," then Orochimaru's request may be difficult to fulfill.

However, it's not a big problem. If we can't create it, it's fine. We can just find another way to verify the strength of the eye technique.

Thinking of this, Sasuke's mindset improved somewhat.

"Well, don't get discouraged so quickly."

Seeing his unusually dejected expression, Yoru chuckled and steered the conversation back on track, "I was just saying that almost all the standard 'asauchi' in Seireitei were made by Nimaiya Oetsu."

"But there are always exceptions, and there are always some 'special' existences that are not created by him."

"A special existence?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed instantly.

“That’s right.” Yoruichi stretched out her hand and pointed to the long, jet-black sword at Sasuke’s waist. “Like your black Zanpakuto, which is filled with an ominous aura.”

"For example, the four noble families of Soul Society, some of the Zanpakuto passed down through generations in our family have a history that is even longer than that of the Gotei 13."

"Take Ichigo, for example. His Zanpakuto, called 'Zangetsu,' is clearly not a conventional product."

"Then do you know..." Sasuke was about to ask about the origins of those Zanpakuto passed down through generations.

"I don't know." Yoruichi seemed to see through his thoughts, interrupting him decisively with a shrug.

"The secrets of the four noble families that cannot be exposed to the light of day are far more numerous than you can imagine. Even when I was the head of the Shihouin family, I might not have been able to see the whole picture."

"Sigh." Sasuke let out a soft sigh.

"Okay, okay, stop sighing."

Seeing his expression, Yoru chuckled and patted him on the back, comforting him, "While I don't know the specific forging process, I do know a little about the most basic components of a Zanpakuto."

"Speak." Sasuke's eyes lit up again.

Yoruichi squatted down and began to explain.

"The so-called 'Asauchi' is the initial form of a Zanpakuto. As far as I know, it is composed of two core 'materials'."

"The first is the soul of the Grim Reaper, which is the basis for the connection between the sword and its master."

"And the other is the soul of the Great Hollow."

"A Hollow?" This answer made Sasuke's brows furrow instantly.

"That's right. A Shinigami's soul is combined with a Hollow's soul in a one-to-one ratio, and then forged with certain special substances from the Spirit King Palace. The final product is the prototype of 'Asauchi'."

Yoruichi's tone became serious, "Although the raw materials sound simple, the specific forging process and how to perfectly fuse two completely opposite souls are secrets that Nimaiya Oetsu never reveals."

"..."

Sasuke fell completely silent.

The soul of Death and the soul of Hollows...

So that's why Zanpakuto have self-awareness.

He finally realized the origin of Indra's special nature, because from the moment of its birth, it contained the other half of the origin belonging to "emptiness".

The same applies to standard asabu, except that the "empty" nature of it has been completely erased by Nimaiya Oetsu through some clever means.

This can be seen from "Takemikazuchi," as Sasuke never sensed any Hollow power within it.

Having figured this out, a look of understanding flashed in Sasuke's eyes.

To create a Zanpakuto for Orochimaru...

The consumption may not be as huge as I expected.

If I could extract a portion of Orochimaru's soul, use it as a core, and then capture a sufficiently powerful Hollow, forcibly merging their souls together...

Then, using his "High-Level Producer's Nest" ability, he simulated that "forging" process.

In theory, it is feasible.

Just as he was deep in thought, a question that had also puzzled him for a long time resurfaced in his mind.

He raised his head, calmly looked at Yoruichi on the ground, and said softly.

"Come to think of it, I don't recall ever seeing your Zanpakuto before."

From the moment he met Yoruichi, this woman seemed to have relied solely on Hakuda and Shunpo in combat.

"My knife?"

Yoruichi paused for a moment, then seemed to recall some unpleasant memory, pursed her lips, and showed disdain in her eyes.

"Don't even mention it, that guy has a terrible temper. He always throws a tantrum, and you have to coax him for ages before he'll listen."

She reached out and scratched the ground listlessly, her voice full of complaints.

"As you know, things change in an instant during a battle. There's no time to coax it. If I become too reliant on it, it will actually cause problems with my strength."

She paused, then added, her tone tinged with pride.

"Moreover, I am the head of the 'Heaven-sent Armor' Shihōin family."

"The 'divine weapons' in our family collection are far more useful than that unruly sword, whether used in conjunction with my hand-to-hand combat or instant step."

"..."

Sasuke listened in silence and didn't ask any further questions.

But a faint glimmer of light flashed in those dark eyes.

Whether it's this world or that world.