Naruto: Sasuke Uchiha Returns from Soul Society

Hyōjube Ichibei clapped his hands, the solemnity on his face vanishing instantly, replaced by the simple, honest old monk's demeanor. "Next, it's time to give this charlatan of yours a proper cleaning."

He gave Sasuke and Aizen no time to react, and swung the huge brush again.

This time, what flowed from the tip of the brush was no longer pitch-black ink, but a pure white light.

A flash of light, and a huge torii gate, also made of characters, appeared out of thin air at the other end of the courtyard.

“Go ahead.” Hyosube Ichibei pointed to the door with his pen. “The hot spring at Kirinji Temple should be able to help you recover to your best condition.”

Aizen looked at the door, then at Hyosube Ichibei, his eyes gleaming with inquiry. Finally, he bowed slightly to him and took the first step.

Sasuke followed closely behind.

When the two figures completely disappeared behind the door, Hyōsuke Ichibei slowly put away his brush, sat down cross-legged again, picked up the cup of tea that had long since gone cold, and drank it all in one gulp.

............

As you pass through the door made of words, a unique fragrance mixed with sulfur and herbs wafts towards you.

What lay before me was no longer the ethereal white courtyard, but a vast, steaming hot spring resort.

Underfoot is a smooth cobblestone path, with babbling streams on both sides. In the distance, a huge palace sits at the source of the hot spring, and on the palace's plaque, the three large characters "Qilin Hall" are written in a flamboyant style.

"Looks like we've reached our next stop, Sasuke-kun." Aizen's voice carried a hint of amusement.

Sasuke ignored him and turned his gaze to the palace.

But before they could get close...

"—Splash!!!"

A loud bang.

The seemingly calm hot spring directly in front of the palace suddenly exploded.

A figure shot into the sky like a cannonball, and finally landed heavily on the stone pavement in front of the two in an extremely arrogant manner, splashing water that even soaked Sasuke's clothes.

The newcomer was wearing the white kimono unique to the Zero Division, but his chest was open, revealing his muscular physique.

He had an exaggeratedly spiky hairstyle, a distinctive mustache on his chin, and a rebellious expression like that of a delinquent.

It was Kirinji Tenjiro, the "Eastern God General" of the Zero Division, also known as the "Izumi-yu Oni" (Spring Bath Demon).

He put his hands in his sleeves, tilted his head, and looked Sasuke and Aizen up and down with a scrutinizing gaze, his voice full of impatience.

"Hey, hey, is it you two? The troublemakers that monk sent over."

His gaze lingered on Aizen for a moment before returning to Sasuke, his brow furrowing. "They don't seem like much either. One has a hypocritical face, and the other..."

He pointed at Sasuke, "A brat who hasn't even been weaned yet."

This provocative opening statement deepened Aizen's smile, while Sasuke's gaze turned colder.

“I don’t care who you are, or what the monk told you.”

Kirinji Tenjiro picked at his ear impatiently. "Since you're here, you have to follow my rules."

He pointed to the two hot springs behind him, which were completely different colors.

The spring water was as black as ink, exuding a terrifying aura that could strip flesh from blood.

The other piece, however, presents a warm, milky white color, brimming with vitality.

"See those two pools?"

Kirinji grinned, revealing a wicked smile. "The one on the left is the Blood Pool Hell, which can extract all the impure blood and spiritual pressure from your bodies. The one on the right is the Bone Pool Heaven, which can use my spiritual pressure to rebuild your flesh and blood."

Chapter 206 Otsutsuki Atavism

"Jump in, take a bath, and wash away all your stinky sweat and filthy spiritual pressure before we talk."

“Otherwise…” Kirinji’s knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists, “I will personally drive you all in.”

"..."

Aizen and Sasuke exchanged a glance.

The next moment, Aizen let out a soft laugh and actually took off his own clothes first.

"Since these are the host's rules, we guests should naturally follow them."

He calmly walked towards the dark hot spring, turned back and winked at Sasuke, "Sasuke-kun, aren't you coming along?"

Sasuke, seeing his effortless demeanor, silently unbuttoned his own clothes as well.

Under Kirinji Tenjiro's watchful gaze, the two stepped into the dark hot spring.

A bone-chilling cold and a burning pain swept through my body at the same time.

Sasuke could clearly feel a tyrannical force drilling into his body through every pore, frantically tearing at his spiritual pressure and chakra.

He groaned, instinctively trying to resist.

But that force was like a leech, impossible to shake off.

"Don't resist, kid."

The sound from Qilin Temple came from the shore, carrying a hint of mockery.

Sasuke frowned, forced to endure the discomfort as his power was gradually drained away.

After an unknown amount of time, that force finally began to slowly recede.

He leaned against the pool wall, exhausted, breathing heavily.

"Alright, the first step is complete," Kirinji's voice rang out again. "Next, the second step."

He pointed to the milky white hot spring next to him, "Go over there and take a nice hot bath."

Sasuke and Aizen exchanged a glance, then stepped out of the dark hot spring and into the vibrant, life-filled waters.

The warm spring water enveloped the two of them.

A vast and pure energy surged into their bodies through their open pores, reshaping their flesh and spiritual pressure in a more perfect form.

"..."

Sasuke stared blankly at the power, his face filled with undisguised shock.

He could clearly feel that the two distinct powers of death and ninja within him were beginning to merge more deeply under the influence of this power.

Even the power belonging to the Six Paths is becoming more refined.

However, the expression on Kirinji Tenjiro's face on the shore was far more interesting than Sasuke's.

He stood there, stunned, his eyes wide open.

"...What, are you kidding me...?"

Kirinji's voice trembled as he stared at the black-haired boy in the hot spring, at the structure of his power, his mind blank.

"What the hell is inside this guy's body?!"

“The power of death,” “the power of the void,” “the power of nature,” and a power he had never seen before.

Even at its deepest depths, one can faintly sense an all-encompassing power.

Kirinji Tenjiro has lived for over a thousand years and considers himself the strongest healer in Soul Society. He has seen countless difficult and complicated cases and dissected at least eight or ten thousand souls.

But he had never, ever seen such an outrageous soul structure.

"Hey, monk!"

Kirinji, as if he had seen a ghost, suddenly turned around and roared in the direction he had come from, "You bastard, where did you find such a monster?!"

However, the only response he received was the bubbling sound of the hot spring.

He seemed to realize something, and suddenly turned his head, turning his gaze back to the boy who was meditating with his eyes closed.

"......I see."

He licked his lips, his voice excited, "Is this preparation for that? Or is it...?"

.........

After an unknown amount of time, when the aftereffects of that power had completely subsided, Sasuke and Aizen emerged one after the other from the milky-white hot spring.

With a casual wave of his hand, Aizen draped a brand-new white haori over his body, his posture elegant.

Sasuke calmly put on his black Shinigami uniform.

Just as he finished fastening his belt, Aizen's gentle voice came from the side, barely concealing his surprise.

"Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke turned his head and saw Aizen standing not far away, staring at him intently.

"Your hair..."

hair?

Sasuke frowned slightly, and subconsciously raised his hand to pick up a strand of hair from his temple.

The sensation remained the same, but when he brought that strand of hair to his eyes, his pupils suddenly contracted.

Unlike its previous pure black color, the ends of its hair had somehow been tinged with a silvery-white hue, like moonlight.

It's not due to the refraction of light, but rather a change in the color of the hair itself.

"It's not just hair."

Aizen's voice rang out again, his gaze sweeping over Sasuke. "Your skin seems to have become even paler than before."

Upon hearing this, Sasuke immediately looked down at his palm.

The previously healthy complexion had indeed faded somewhat, presenting an almost sickly pale appearance.

It was at this moment that he finally noticed the subtle, strange feeling on his forehead, as if something was about to break through the soil.

Sasuke's eyes instantly turned cold. He lowered his head and saw his reflection on the still relatively calm water.

The face in the reflection was still familiar, yet everything was completely different.

The roots of her jet-black hair remained deep, but the ends were as if they had been soaked in frost and snow, presenting a light, whitish color.

His pale skin made his dark eyes appear even more profound.