Naruto: Sasuke Uchiha Returns from Soul Society

"Where are those Shinigami now?" Yoruichi's voice pulled Sasuke back from his thoughts. "Why is it that, apart from you, I have never sensed any other kindred spirits in this world?"

“I don’t know.” Sasuke shook his head and relayed the giant tortoise’s guess, “The old tortoise speculated that perhaps after the war in which the Divine Tree descended, they sacrificed themselves along with the Hollows in order to seal them away.”

"All of them?" A hint of disbelief flashed in Yoruichi's cat-like eyes.

A complete system of power has been completely erased from history?

She looked at Sasuke and asked another question: "So, in all your time in this world, you've never seen a Hollow again?"

“That’s right,” Sasuke answered crisply, “except for this.”

As he spoke, he took out the pale, grotesque bone mask that exuded an ominous aura from his pocket.

Sasuke glanced at Yoruichi, tossed the mask lightly in his hand, but was already thinking about something else.

Not long ago, he had also thought that perhaps he could use the unconscious Vasto Lorde-class Hollow inside the mask to forge a Zanpakuto for Orochimaru.

But the thought was fleeting and he immediately dismissed it.

Wasting such a pure Vasto Lorde-level soul on Orochimaru is far too extravagant.

So, this thing...

Sasuke shifted his gaze from the mask, a new and interesting idea forming in his mind. He looked at Yoruichi and tentatively began to speak.

"Yoruichi, have you thought about this?"

"Ok?"

"Etherealization".

These words completely froze Yoruichi's languid expression.

"..."

The air fell into a brief, deathly silence.

After a long while, Yoruichi finally shifted her gaze from the mask back to Sasuke's face, her expression complex.

"Are you serious?" Her voice was very soft.

"why not."

Sasuke's face showed no sign of joking. "I just felt that you should be able to master this power as well."

Yoruichi fell silent; she knew that Sasuke was right about the path forward.

"I've thought about it before."

After a long silence, Yoruichi spoke softly, a hint of reminiscence flashing in her cat-like eyes, "A long time ago, when Kisuke was still researching the Hogyoku, I made a similar suggestion to him."

"But he rejected me."

“He said that was too dangerous. Hollowing out is an irreversible process. Once it begins, you either successfully suppress the power of the Hollow or you will be completely devoured and become a mindless monster.”

"He believed that the power was too violent and the Hogyoku was not perfect. Given my condition at the time, the chance of success was probably only 30% or 40%."

"And now?" Sasuke countered, handing the mask in his hand to her, his crimson Sharingan subtly surfacing. "Its spiritual pressure is genuine, comparable to the top-tier Vasto Lorde-class Hollows."

Yoruichi looked at the mask so close to her face, her breathing slightly disordered.

"The most important point is that it has no self-awareness, only an empty shell of instinct, a power container that can be filled at will."

"It will not resist, much less conflict with your soul."

"and......"

Sasuke paused, his tone full of confidence, "With me watching over you, you can't fail."

Yoruichi stared blankly into Sasuke's calm yet confident eyes, a suppressed chuckle escaping her throat, growing louder and louder.

"Ha...hahahaha..."

Yoruichi tilted her head back and laughed so hard she almost fell over.

"What a complete little madman."

She stopped laughing, slowly lowered her head, and gently licked the corner of her mouth. "But I like it."

"Oh!"

A soft sound.

The black cat on Sasuke's shoulder was completely enveloped in a cloud of white smoke.

As the smoke cleared, a tall, purple-haired woman appeared on this desolate desert.

Yoruichi walked towards Sasuke and took the cold mask from his hand.

"Well then, Sasuke."

Yoruichi held the mask up to her eyes, her golden eyes meeting Sasuke's through the empty sockets, her voice filled with eager excitement.

"Next, let me experience firsthand what the power of the Hollow really is like."

Under Yoruichi's curious gaze, Sasuke reached into his robes.

When he withdrew his hand again, a crystal emitting an eerie purple light was already floating above his palm.

Bōgyoku.

The moment Orochimaru saw the crystal, his breath caught in his throat.

For some reason, the aura emanating from that crystal was extremely attractive to him.

Orochimaru subconsciously took a half step forward, his golden snake eyes fixed on the crystal, a look of pilgrimage-like infatuation appearing on his face.

Sasuke slowly pushed the Hogyoku in his hand toward Yoruichi.

"Take it."

Yoruichi didn't hesitate, but she didn't take it immediately either. Instead, she asked with interest, "Are you just going to give it to me? Aren't you afraid I'll swallow it and then take care of you too?"

"You can give it a try."

Sasuke's answer was calm, but his words sent a chill down Yoruichi's spine.

Yoruichi chuckled softly, stopped probing, and reached out her hand to gently tap the crystal.

"Om-"

As if sensing something, the Hogyoku emitted a burst of purple light.

At the same time, the pale bone mask in Yoruichi's hand seemed to be drawn away, breaking free from her grasp and slowly pressing against her face.

"It's about to begin." Yoruichi's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement.

However, just as the mask was about to touch her skin...

"Ughh ...

A suppressed, painful roar suddenly burst from Yoruichi's throat.

Sasuke's pupils suddenly contracted as he saw Yoruichi's pretty face instantly drain of color, her body trembling uncontrollably.

how so?!

Sasuke's heart skipped a beat. The consciousness of that Hollow had clearly been erased by the Uzumaki clan using some unknown method, leaving only a pure shell of power. It shouldn't have been able to have any conflict of will with Yoruichi's soul.

He stared at the face contorted in pain, his mind racing.

Almost at the same time, the light of the Hogyoku in Sasuke's palm suddenly dimmed, as if he had forcibly taken it back.

He moved swiftly and appeared beside Yoruichi, catching her as she was about to collapse, his voice urgent.

"Hey! What's wrong?!"

"..."

Yoruichi didn't answer, she just breathed heavily.

His facial expressions showed pain, struggle, and even a hint of mockery.

Just as Sasuke frowned deeply, preparing to use his Sharingan to examine her soul state...

Yoruichi moved, her arm rising suddenly with incredible speed and precisely gripping the back of Sasuke's neck.

Immediately afterwards, Sasuke felt an irresistible force coming towards him.

The world spun around.

Yoruichi had flipped him over and pressed him firmly onto the soft sand.

The beautiful face that had been contorted in agony had somehow returned to normal, and the ethereal mask on her face had long since disappeared.

She sat on Sasuke's waist, looking down at him. Her face slowly enlarged in Sasuke's vision, almost touching the tip of his nose.

The two were so close that Sasuke could see her slightly trembling eyelashes and smell her unique scent.

"..."

Sasuke's body stiffened abruptly. He stared at Yoruichi's eyes, which were filled with a sly smile, and his mind went blank.

Is she playing me?!

This thought instantly turned Sasuke's eyes cold.

Almost instinctively, he raised his right fist, a condensed spiritual pressure gathering in his fist, intending to blast this ungrateful fellow away from him.

However, he ultimately failed to throw a punch.

As soon as he looked at him, the corners of his mouth curved into a more pleased smile, and then he spoke softly in an extremely irritating tone.

Judging from your expression...

She stuck out her tongue and lightly licked Sasuke's cheek, her voice filled with undisguised teasing, "You're worried about me, aren't you, little Sasuke?"

Chapter 179 Grabbing Gaara and Transforming Him Instantly

The Land of Wind, Sunagakure Village.

This once-powerful ninja village, renowned for its harsh living conditions and exquisite puppetry, which produced countless elite ninjas, now resembles a beast licking its wounds, exuding weakness and desolation.

A few months ago, the "Konoha Crush Plan," spearheaded by Orochimaru and in which the village staked everything, ended in the most tragic way.

This high-stakes gamble nearly cost them everything.