Shinigami in the Ninja World (Re-upload)

Naruto looked up.

Karin was watching him, wearing an apron, while the aroma of food wafted from the nearby kitchen.

Her greeting was warm and concerned, filled with the usual care and familiarity that hadn't changed over time.

Did anyone even notice that he had disappeared to another world?

"Naruto, that thing in your hand…" Karin's eyes fell on the golden key.

She was accustomed to Naruto carrying unusual items, but this one felt different. It emitted an aura reminiscent of a Zanpakuto. She recalled that Naruto hadn't forged any swords recently, which puzzled her. Could a Zanpakuto be something other than a sword?

Naruto looked down.

The key had traveled back with him to this world.

It gleamed brilliantly, radiating intense spiritual pressure, as if freshly forged. However, the "Soul King's power" within it had been significantly drained.

Just one trip had consumed a third of its energy.

But that wasn't much of a problem.

Even accounting for the third needed for a return trip, there was still a third left as backup.

"It's a little tool," he replied with a smile. "It'll be very useful."

Naruto was in high spirits.

As expected, there had been no disturbances in time.

This meant that even if he returned to the Soul Society, there wouldn't be any time difference.

The Soul King was gone.

But it hadn't affected him in any way.

"Very useful?" Karin tilted her head thoughtfully, nodding.

With Naruto's current abilities, there was practically nothing he couldn't accomplish, and few people could assist him anymore.

If he said it was useful, it must be related to the Pure Land, right?

She wasn't wrong.

The Soul Society's biggest problems had been fully resolved. Whether the Quincy, Hueco Mundo, Bankai, or the Shinigami themselves—all visible threats had been dealt with.

Naruto had also grown in the Soul Society.

Both in strength and in outlook.

The effects of the "Infinite Tsukuyomi" still lingered in this world.

He was eager to tackle that "problem."

This Zanpakuto, in the form of a key, was connected to "space" and allowed him to travel between realms. Enhanced by the Soul King's power, it could even bridge entirely separate worlds.

Using it to open a portal between two connected worlds, however, was easy.

It wouldn't even consume the "Soul King's power."

With just the key's own power, he could break through the barrier between the Pure Land and the Living World.

In the Land of Whirlpools.

Inside the shrine at Whirlpool Village, the key opened a dark portal.

Naruto led Karin through it.

The dim space felt like a pitch-black room with only a faint, distant lamp.

Just as every Reanimated Ninja had described it.

"Where should we look for the Sage of Six Paths?" Karin asked, glancing around, her brows furrowing.

The place was harsh and featureless, with nothing distinct to use as a reference.

Her sensory abilities weren't restricted, but even so, it was like seeing only what was right in front of her. There was nothing identifiable to orient herself.

Her "Mind's Eye of the Kagura" wasn't as strong as Naruto's.

But…

A few kilometers or a few dozen kilometers probably wouldn't make much difference here.

Naruto shook his head. "No need. He's already here."

As he spoke, he raised his head.

Karin followed his gaze, feeling a shock.

Even though her senses hadn't picked up any "life" or "spiritual" energy, there the person stood before her.

The Sage of Six Paths?

At first glance, she almost mistook him.

He bore a striking resemblance to the "evolved" Obito Uchiha and Madara Uchiha.

With brown hair, a white robe, the circular tomoe marking on his chest, and a staff in hand.

His eyes were the Rinnegan, and his forehead held a blood-red Rinne Sharingan, similar to Kaguya Otsutsuki's.

It confirmed Naruto's speculation.

"Chakra" was not simply a form of power but rather a way of unlocking certain "permissions."

"Naruto Uzumaki." The Sage of Six Paths approached slowly, his tone gentle, devoid of malice. "I have wanted to meet you for a long time."

"However, due to certain limitations, I cannot appear in the world of the living."

"When my mother…"

"When Kaguya Otsutsuki was released, I had a brief opportunity."

"But I figured you'd find me eventually. Instead of rushing our conversation in a brief moment, it's better that we meet here, where we can talk at length."

With a wave of his hand, a fire sprang up between them, casting a warm glow.

"You know, it wouldn't be out of line if you called me 'Grandfather,'" the Sage of Six Paths said with a softened tone, almost ingratiating.

Family ties were an effective way to bridge unfamiliarity.

When two strangers find they share a common relative, while it may not make them close, it certainly eases the tension of a cold introduction.

Karin hesitated.

Strictly speaking, he was right.

Agreeing wouldn't hurt.

Naruto ignored him completely and sat by the fire. "I've often thought that, even though it's a place for the dead, a place called the Pure Land shouldn't be as terrible as in some of the stories."

"But seeing it now with my own eyes…it's not so different from the legends after all."

The Sage of Six Paths' expression grew serious as he tapped the fire with his staff. "Naruto, may I call you that? Tell me, what are your ambitions?"

"To unify a world?"

He paused, studying the blond boy's face, searching for something in his eyes or expression.

"If that's your goal, you've already achieved it."

"Even at my peak, I would be no match for you."

Naruto shook his head. "Is that really how you see me—so shallow?"

The Sage of Six Paths turned his head to look at him.

Unifying the world…

Is that such a dull ambition?

"I have no desire to change this world," Naruto continued, "and besides, someone else is already working on that."

"Sasuke is an exceptional person, and he has strong ideals."

"We're different."

"He wants to do it, so let him be the one to change this world."

The Sage of Six Paths nodded thoughtfully. "Then what do you want, Naruto?"

Naruto grinned, casting a casual glance at him. "What are you worried about?"

"Whether I want something that goes against your expectations or aligns with them…what can you do about it?"

The Sage of Six Paths hesitated and lowered his head.

As he had just admitted, even if he were resurrected, he would not be a match for Naruto Uzumaki. And now, as a spirit mingled with chakra, he was even less capable of stopping him.

Naruto gently waved his hand, and the wind fanned the fire, making it burn even brighter.

"What I want is simple, really."

"For the people I care about to live healthy, peaceful lives."

The Sage of Six Paths looked deeply at Naruto.

This desire was indeed straightforward.

But…

"What you've done and the way you've acted seem to contradict that," the Sage noted, speaking frankly. "If that's all you truly seek, then why—"

Naruto interrupted him, "What are you trying to say?"

The Sage of Six Paths spoke softly, "I don't understand why you have so many plans for the Pure Land."

"It doesn't seem to align with your original intentions."

Naruto replied, "Doesn't it?"

"Putting aside the issue of chakra—do you really believe that the Pure Land, as it is now, can offer the dead a peaceful existence?"

"The 'Edo Tensei' jutsu is like a perfect fishhook. As long as the jutsu is cast, meeting the right conditions, it forcibly summons any deceased person, regardless of the caster's strength or the strength of the soul."

"Only a select few have the means—or the luck to exploit a caster's mistakes—to escape it…"

"But even then, they merely escape control; they still exist in this world as Edo Tensei bodies until the caster dies or releases the technique."

"My parents, and some of the old people I knew, have all passed on, and their souls reside in the Pure Land."

"But…"

"As long as someone wants, they can summon them with Edo Tensei at any time."

"I don't think Edo Tensei should exist in this world."

"Does that conflict with my original intentions?"

The Sage of Six Paths couldn't refute it; it was indeed a serious issue.

"So, what do you intend to do?" he asked, wondering if Naruto aimed to erase chakra entirely.

Naruto shook his head. "Why would I do that?"

The Sage was taken aback.

"Chakra is undeniably powerful," Naruto said, looking at him. "Once you unlock a higher level of access, it grants overwhelming control over lower levels."

"Those who wield chakra haven't contributed much to this world: ninja, warfare, death, tools…"

"These words best describe chakra."

"Chakra isn't a native force of this world; it's an alien power. Your mother, the source of chakra, was an outsider."

"The God Tree especially—it behaves exactly like an invasive species in an ecosystem."

"From my perspective, this energy shouldn't exist. Without it, maybe this world would be better."

The Sage lowered his head.

"But that's just what I think," Naruto paused, smiling and shaking his head. "Should I impose that on others under the pretense of 'it's for their own good' and strip away their power?"

"I've experienced that before."

"The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, hid my identity, claiming it was 'for my own good,' and I was forced to live in secrecy. I didn't appreciate it."

"You could even say my father did the same, sealing Kurama inside me 'for my own good.'"

"In the end, it worked out well. Kurama and I became friends, and I relied on him to get through my hardest times."

"But if I could relive my childhood, I wouldn't choose it again."

The Sage of Six Paths seemed to be contemplating Naruto's words deeply.

Karin, on the other hand, wasn't so much concerned with Naruto's plans as she was with the pain he had endured.

"So, I won't do things 'for their own good' against their will." Naruto was resolute. "I'll remind Sasuke of this, too."

"Chakra is a valuable energy."

Chakra and "spiritual energy" were fundamentally different.

Spiritual energy relied on people.

But chakra could exist independently, much like electricity in the modern world, powering light bulbs, computers, and, Naruto had even heard, trains in the Land of Lightning.

These examples proved that chakra could serve a purpose similar to electricity.

In fact, chakra was even better.

It caused minimal environmental damage and was a clean, convenient bio-energy—a resource people in the modern world could only dream of, often imagined in science fiction as an ideal future power source.

Yet, despite being far behind the modern world, the Ninja World had already harnessed such energy.

"Chakra will enhance productivity," Naruto said with a smile, presenting his conclusion.

The Sage of Six Paths asked, "And the Pure Land?"

This was the matter he was most concerned with.

After all, it was tied directly to his own existence.

"The Pure Land shouldn't contain chakra," Naruto replied without hesitation. "The living shouldn't use chakra to manipulate the dead."

"When I establish the Seireitei, I will also create a division called the Purification Squad."

"Whenever someone dies, the Purification Squad will perform a soul burial, removing the deceased's chakra so that their soul can reach the Pure Land in purity, living there until its natural end."

The Sage wasn't surprised.

So this is what Naruto Uzumaki had in mind.

"What about those who have already died? Will you remove their chakra, too?" he asked gravely.

Naruto smiled. "Don't worry about that."

"As I said, I respect others' wishes."

"For things that have already happened, forcibly changing them would only create further unrest."

"If someone wants to relinquish their chakra, I will purify them and let them live as a soul. If they don't want to, then they won't have to. From now on, no soul will be parasitized by chakra."

Naruto looked at the Sage of Six Paths with a gentle smile.

"That includes you."

"If you no longer wish to possess chakra, I will help you."

The Sage shook his head. "It's been a thousand years; I've grown accustomed to it."

"Since that's how you see things…"

"Then go ahead."

Naruto stood up, and with a wave of his hand, a long-lost breeze swept through the Pure Land. "I don't need your approval to do this."

"Isn't that right?"