Shinigami in the Ninja World (Re-upload)

Graduation Day for the Sixth Years

As students graduated from the Academy, they formed three-person squads, each led by a guiding ninja, beginning their journey toward becoming full-fledged ninja.

Sasuke had been eagerly awaiting this day.

Since his unexpected return from the Soul Society, he hadn't been able to access that other world again. Even though Konoha and the Seireitei each had a "school" for training, they were vastly different.

At the Shin'o Academy, students could learn freely, with no limits on the types of knowledge or techniques as long as they had the talent and teachers willing to train them. Even high-level kidō spells could be learned, and if a teacher couldn't teach something, students could later apply to study it with specialized Kidō Corps members once they joined a division.

The Ninja Academy, however, only taught the basics—how to refine chakra and perform the three foundational techniques—and nothing more. In the ninja world, obtaining advanced knowledge was much more difficult.

If a ninja wanted to learn new jutsu, they'd either need a family inheritance or earn it as a reward for serving the village well. For most, the easiest way to learn anything new was to gain the approval of their guiding jonin.

Iruka-sensei entered the classroom, clapping his hands to quiet the chatter before announcing names.

"Team Seven," he said. "Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha…"

Just as Iruka-sensei finished, Naruto slammed a hand on his desk, sounding outraged. "Why does a genius like me have to be on the same team as that Sasuke Uchiha?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, almost losing his composure.

He hadn't even said anything yet… and Naruto was already objecting.

And with that kind of comment, no less.

Genius? Sasuke thought to himself, How does Naruto even have the nerve to call himself that?

Many people mocked Naruto as the class "dead last." His grades were terrible, and his ninjutsu was practically nonexistent; even to this day, he couldn't execute a proper clone technique. Sasuke had no idea how he had managed to graduate.

But… physically, Naruto was strong—even stronger than Sasuke himself, who had trained intentionally. Still, Naruto had no idea how to channel that talent. If Sasuke had that kind of strength, he'd be even more powerful; perhaps it'd be easier to use Indra to reach the Three Tomoe Sharingan, and he'd be able to maintain it for longer, too.

Someone like Naruto, who couldn't even use his own potential, had no right to call himself a genius.

As Iruka reprimanded him, Sasuke rested his head on his hand, looking out the window.

It didn't matter who his teammates were.

What he cared about was who would be their guiding ninja.

He'd heard from past graduates that some students were assigned to chunin instructors, while others got jonin. Given his talent and his standing as an Uchiha, he felt certain he'd be assigned a jonin.

A chunin… couldn't be qualified to teach an Uchiha.

Once team assignments were done, they were to meet their instructors that afternoon.

At lunch, Sasuke noticed Naruto trying to sneak up on him, but his Sharingan made detecting such attempts easy.

A surprise attack? Sasuke thought. It was probably Naruto's way of getting back at him after Iruka's scolding, perhaps to prove that he could beat him. Throughout school, Naruto had frequently challenged him.

So, Sasuke used a clone to trick Naruto, letting him believe that he'd successfully ambushed him. Naruto then transformed himself into Sasuke and approached Sakura, asking her out.

It was no secret that Naruto had a crush on Sakura. Sasuke found it amusing—and rather unexpected—that Naruto would go to the lengths of impersonating someone else just to get close to her.

Watching this unfold, Sasuke considered stopping him… but seeing Naruto's pure-hearted approach, he let it continue for a while. All Naruto wanted was to know what Sakura thought of him; it was a bit pathetic but harmless.

But then—

When Naruto, as "Sasuke," puckered his lips and leaned toward Sakura, Sasuke had had enough.

Emerging from behind a nearby bush, he grabbed "Sasuke" by the head.

"Huh?" Sakura gasped, taken aback. "A second Sasuke?"

Her already pounding heart started racing even faster, to the point she could almost hear it echoing.

"What's going on?" she stammered, utterly bewildered.

"Naruto, you've crossed the line." Sasuke pushed Naruto down, his tone icy.

In a puff of smoke, Naruto's transformation ended.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Naruto's dark hair turned back to blonde as he yelped in pain. "Sasuke, wait, stop! I was wrong, okay?"

His apology came fast and genuine.

"It was Naruto!" Realization dawned on Sakura, her shock turning to fury. "You jerk!"

"You almost stole my first kiss!"

She clenched her fists, fuming.

It was her first kiss…

"I get it, I was wrong, really wrong," Naruto pleaded, clutching his stomach. "Sasuke, just let me go to the bathroom, please—I think I ate something bad."

Sakura, seething, shook her fist. Her tone dripped with sarcasm as she advanced, glaring down at him. "You really think that excuse is going to work?"

"A stomachache?"

"And it just happens to be now, of all times?"

Her fist was just about to swing down.

Sasuke grabbed her wrist, releasing his other hand as he said, "Let him go."

Sweat broke out on Naruto's forehead. Even through his shirt, Sasuke could see the spasms in Naruto's stomach muscles.

He wasn't lying.

"Thanks so much!" Naruto ducked low, slipping past them and running off into the distance.

Sakura stared at her wrist, grinning sheepishly. She'd just had real physical contact with Sasuke—her anger faded a bit, though she couldn't help but mumble, "Sasuke, why did you let him off like that? It obviously sounded like an excuse."

Sasuke glanced at her but offered no explanation.

Sakura shook her head, feigning maturity as she said, "You're always so nice to him, and he doesn't even appreciate it."

"That guy always bothers you, Sasuke-kun. He has no self-awareness."

"In my opinion, he's just undisciplined, doing whatever he pleases. If I pulled a stunt like that, my parents would be furious."

"Actually… I'm kind of jealous that he's an orphan. Living alone, with no parents nagging him."

She thought that saying this might bring her closer to Sasuke, that it might be a chance for them to bond.

Girls are like that.

Even if two girls don't know each other well, a bit of gossip about someone else can make them fast friends.

No parents…

That phrase, said so lightly.

"So being an orphan is something to criticize?" Sasuke responded in a tone colder than she'd expected, his hands shoved into his pockets, an eyebrow arched as he looked at her with piercing eyes. "And you think you're in a place to judge people who've lost theirs?"

Sakura froze, staring at him as the realization sank in.

How thoughtless… she'd aimed her comments at Naruto, but they'd unintentionally hit Sasuke, too.

Naruto wasn't the only one without parents; Sasuke was also alone.

"Laughing at other people's suffering..." Sasuke muttered, his glare icy. "You're truly unpleasant."

He turned and walked away, heading in the direction Naruto had gone.

Sakura stood there, dumbfounded and speechless.

That afternoon, their Team 7 leader was the last to arrive. He had his face mostly hidden by a mask, with only one lazy, disinterested eye exposed. Yet, despite his laid-back look, he was a jonin.

Sasuke's expression grew serious.

Graduating was a step forward, but this team assignment didn't exactly fill him with confidence.

Their leader was a jonin, yes, but he seemed unreliable. His two teammates—a thoughtless girl who mocked others' painful pasts, and an impulsive, headstrong idiot—didn't make things look too promising.

Right now, he could only hope that this man, Kakashi Hatake, would be generous enough to teach him some advanced jutsu and valuable ninja skills.

After receiving their instructions for the following day's training exercise, everyone was dismissed.

Sasuke spent the night practicing his swordsmanship before finally heading to bed.

Upon waking the next morning, he instinctively reached for his sword, preparing to head to the training grounds—but as he looked up, he noticed the room around him had changed.

Gone was the worn-down, shabby wooden room.

In its place was a clean, orderly classroom.

Surrounding him were teachers and students.

Was this…?

It was the very classroom where he'd been practicing sword meditation before returning to the ninja world.

He was back in the Soul Society?

He looked down at the sword in his hand.

"Does something matter, Uchiha?" his teacher asked kindly. For such a rare talent—one who appeared only once every few centuries—the instructors had endless patience. "Are you feeling unwell?"

Sasuke stood up, responding calmly, "Sensei, I've already mastered Shikai."

The Soul Society differed entirely from Konoha Village. Here, showcasing one's true talent would only lead to more opportunities and resources. There was no need to hide his abilities, as he often did back in Konoha.

The teacher's eyes widened.

"You've already mastered it?" he exclaimed, surprised.

He'd just distributed the Asauchi to the students, and most hadn't even begun sword meditation.

Sasuke Uchiha had already achieved Shikai?

"My Shikai has abilities in both kidō and combat," Sasuke explained with a nod. "It enhances my spiritual energy and improves my perception and awareness."

"Not elemental, then? So, it has little effect outwardly?" the teacher confirmed.

"That's correct," Sasuke replied.

"In that case, would you be able to demonstrate your Zanpakutō for the rest of the class, Sasuke?" The teacher's smile widened, excitement plain in his voice. Even though everyone was accustomed to Sasuke's talent by now, the teacher could hardly resist boasting about the genius under his guidance.

Sasuke rose from his seat. "Of course."

He was eager to begin, though not so much to confirm Indra's abilities; he'd already tested his sword extensively during his six years in Konoha and was quite proficient with it.

What he truly wanted to confirm was whether the Sharingan could be activated here in the Soul Society.

Would the Uchiha bloodline work in this world?

He drew his sword and intoned softly, "Open Your Eyes, Indra!"

Reiatsu coursed through him, flowing into his eyes.

A crimson glow spread across his irises as the three tomoe spun.

"Sasuke-kun's eyes!" one girl gasped, her hands covering her mouth. "So cool!"

"Three tomoe, enhancing his vision!" the boys murmured, their envy apparent.

It was striking to look different in such a way, but with Sasuke, that difference had an undeniable allure.

No one questioned the change in Sasuke's eyes; after all, "open your eyes" was part of his release command. A change in his eyes only seemed natural.

It wasn't common for a Shikai release to alter one's physical appearance, but it wasn't unheard of either.

And for a prodigy like Sasuke, this was to be expected.

"Quite impressive," the teacher said, clapping. "It seems your talent with your Zanpakutō is just as exceptional as it is in other areas. You're truly an all-around genius."

"Have you considered early graduation?"

"I'd wager you could complete all six years' worth of curriculum before the end of your first year."

"Rather than staying here and wasting time, joining the Gotei 13 would let you grow much faster under the guidance of the captains."

Faster growth.

Those words struck a chord in Sasuke's heart.

He nodded, answering decisively, "Yes, I'd like to apply for early graduation."

The news of Sasuke's Shikai quickly spread, drawing even more attention from within the Seireitei.

It was one thing to have talent in hand-to-hand combat or kidō, but the real mark of a true Shinigami lay in mastery of one's Zanpakutō. No matter how strong other talents might be, without Shikai, rising in the ranks would be nearly impossible. At least for now, no one in the Seireitei had become an officer without first achieving Shikai.

Several captains had already taken notice of him.

With a fifth-class reiatsu and a young age, now with a Shikai on top of it all, Sasuke seemed destined to one day reach the level of a captain.

Many were already contemplating how they might approach him and recruit him to their squads.

Especially the 10th Division.

They had the strongest desire for new talent; their previous captain had recently fallen in battle, and they still lacked a replacement.

In the training yard…

Sasuke finished his daily practice, sitting on the sidelines, drenched in sweat.

"Impressive dedication."

"Sasuke-kun, what drives you so intensely?"

Sasuke looked up.

In front of him stood a man with a gentle smile.

It was Aizen Sosuke, captain of the 5th Division. His voice was calm and patient. "In your eyes, I see hatred."

"That's not the kind of look a child should have."