Naruto: Sasuke Uchiha Returns from Soul Society

"..."

Sasuke abruptly stopped, his brows furrowing instantly.

Not right.

Something is disappearing.

He subconsciously raised his head to look at the magnificent palace in front of him, but the outline of the palace began to blur in his vision, as if through a layer of frosted glass that kept getting thicker.

"Ok?"

Aizen, who was following closely behind, also noticed the abnormality the moment he stepped onto the bridge, and even he couldn't help but show surprise on his face.

He looked down at his hands, his eyes filled with confusion.

"my hand?"

He could still feel his hands, but the very concept of those hands, and the "Mirror Flower Water Moon" sword at his waist, seemed to be becoming blurred.

It's like a pencil drawing being erased, the traces of which are gradually fading away.

who am I?

Aizen Sousuke...

The name echoed in my mind, but it felt like a distant and unfamiliar symbol, its connection to me being forcibly severed by an invisible force.

"This is..." Aizen's breathing became somewhat rapid.

Sasuke's situation was equally dire. He not only felt the distance between himself and Aizen growing infinitely wider, but even his perception of Aizen was beginning to waver.

"—Buzz!"

Just as this mental defense was about to collapse, the purple Rinnegan and the six-pointed star Mangekyou Sharingan flashed alternately in his eyes, bursting out with unprecedented light.

A terrifying power originating from the Six Paths, mixed with a distortion of reality, surged forth, firmly blocking the bizarre law that was trying to erase his existence.

"Humph......"

Sasuke grunted, raised his head, and stared intently ahead, his heart filled with horror.

On the other side, Aizen finally broke free from that brief period of self-awareness disorder.

"Hehe, interesting."

He doesn't possess a protective eye technique like Sasuke, but he has something more direct and ruthless.

"--boom!!!"

A tremendous spiritual pressure erupted from his body, and he used this absolute power to forcefully resist that invisible force.

"I see......"

Aizen raised his head and looked at the empty end of the bridge, his face showing a true sense of solemnity for the first time.

"Is it a higher-level technique that doesn't work on the five senses, but rather directly on the concept itself?"

He glanced at the boy beside him, who had also regained his composure. In those brown eyes that always held a gentle smile, genuine excitement appeared.

"What an amazing welcoming ceremony!"

"interesting."

Just as the two successfully resisted the force, a steady voice came from the other end of the bridge.

A tall and imposing figure appeared at the end of the bridge.

The newcomer was dressed in the white kimono unique to the Zero Division, with a huge string of prayer beads around his neck and an equally enormous calligraphy brush in his hand.

His bald head and thick, seaweed-like black beard combined to create a face that appeared honest and simple, yet full of humor.

Yet, deep within those seemingly murky eyes gleamed a wisdom that could see through everything.

It was none other than Ichibei Hyosube, the leader of the Zero Division.

He looked at the two figures on the bridge that hadn't been stained black by his own dye, and a smile of great interest appeared on his face.

"It even has a name, one that even my ink cannot stain black."

He didn't question their purpose, nor did he show any hostility; he simply observed them with interest.

His gaze then settled on the black-haired boy.

"Especially you, young man."

Hyosube Ichibei's voice carried a hint of inquiry, "Your name seems to carry a much heavier weight than Aizen's."

These words caused Aizen's eyes to flicker slightly.

What unsettled him was the meaning of the second half of the sentence from the Minister of War.

Is it heavier than my name?

Aizen glanced subtly at Sasuke beside him.

Sasuke's grip on the sword didn't loosen; he felt a terrifying pressure emanating from his opponent that was completely different from any of his previous opponents.

The oppressive feeling emanating from this aura is far stronger than that of Aizen. How could Aizen have made the decision to kill the Soul King and replace him?

I feel... Aizen's current power is far from enough.

"So......"

Hyōsuke Ichibei finally stopped, gently slamming the huge brush onto the ground with a muffled thud.

"Can you tell me about this visitor from another world who bears such a heavy name?"

What brings you here?

"Visitors from another world?"

Aizen was losing his composure.

Another world?!

Although he had already deduced from Szayelaporro's analysis and his own observations that Sasuke's power system did not belong to any of these worlds.

But he never imagined that this referred to another world that existed outside the Three Realms!

He always believed that Sasuke was a descendant of a forgotten historical figure who had emerged from a corner of history with his own independent lineage.

No wonder his eyes could display such a miracle that even he himself could not perfectly replicate with the Hogyoku.

A world with a completely different system of laws and power...

If I could get there, would the higher realm I'm pursuing be...?

Aizen's breathing became somewhat rapid at this moment. The thirst for knowledge that he had been suppressing was completely ignited at this moment, even briefly overshadowing his desire to be king.

He abruptly turned his head, and for the first time, his brown eyes, which always held a gentle smile, were fixed intently on Sasuke with such burning intensity.

Hyosube Ichibei witnessed all of this.

He looked at the undisguised shock on Aizen's face, then at Sasuke's still calm profile, a smile curving his lips beneath his beard.

In fact, several years ago, when the boy first appeared in Soul Society, Hyosube Ichibei had already seen him.

When a "name" that does not belong to the cause and effect of this world quietly descends, how could he, as the namer of all things, be completely unaware?

However, Sasuke at that time was too weak and too innocent.

That pure hatred, though sharp, is also fragile.

Like a thorn bush growing wildly on barren land, it is prickly, but you can see its end at a glance.

To him, who had long been accustomed to the vicissitudes of history, it was nothing more than a grain of sand that had drifted down by chance.

Whether assimilated by the torrent of this world or ruthlessly crushed in the struggle, we are nothing more than a small ripple in the long river of time.

It wasn't worth him moving an inch from the Spirit King's Palace for this.

But now, this grain of sand, after experiencing some wondrous journey unknown to him, has grown into a stubborn rock powerful enough to change the course of the tides.

Chapter 205 The Road Named by the Eye Monk

Hyosube Ichibei's gaze swept subtly over those purple Rinnegan eyes, his honest face beaming with an even wider smile.

The arrival of Sasuke and his group this time is itself a "variable".

As the oldest guardian of this world, what he most desires to see, as long as the balance of the world can be maintained, is this kind of variable that can stir up ripples in a stagnant pool.

Hyosube Ichibei withdrew the power that had been enough to erase concepts, and the light bridge beneath his feet, which had become illusory, regained its solid texture.

He hoisted the enormous calligraphy brush back onto his shoulder and extended an invitation to the two of them.

"Since you're here, why don't you come in and have a cup of tea?"

Hyosube Ichibei's voice remained calm, "I'm not confident I can keep you here safely, so it's better to fight a pointless battle here."

"I would much rather hear it with my own ears."

He looked at Sasuke and Aizen, a knowing glint in his eyes. "What exactly do you two guests want?"

These words eased Aizen's tense nerves slightly.

He glanced at the boy beside him, who had also withdrawn his pupil technique and returned to calm, and the corner of his mouth curved into a meaningful smile.

"In that case, I shall respectfully comply."

Aizen bowed slightly to Hyosube Ichibei, his posture elegant, as if the clash of forces just now was nothing more than a harmless greeting.

Sasuke didn't speak, but simply nodded slightly, which was taken as acquiescence.

He was also very curious about how this old monster, who had lived for countless years, would react after hearing his and Aizen's ideas.

..........

Inside the Zero Division's residence, it wasn't as magnificent as Sasuke had imagined.

This place is more like a sky garden suspended above a sea of ​​clouds. There are no walls, only a few white pillars made of pure spiritual particles, supporting an equally pure white dome.

In the center of the courtyard is a small hot spring, its water crystal clear, bubbling and steaming, emitting a refreshing fragrance that can cleanse the soul.

Hyōsuke Ichibei was already sitting cross-legged on a blue stone by the spring, a set of antique tea utensils in his hand, and he was slowly pouring himself a cup of hot tea.

"Please sit wherever you like," he said, gesturing to the seat opposite him in a calm voice.