Naruto Birdcage

The sky instantly turned crimson, as if stained with blood.

No longer was this the venue for the interdimensional exchange event—it had transformed into a vast, desolate black wasteland, with a scarlet full moon hanging high above.

The entire world became overwhelmingly oppressive.

Hitsugaya froze in place, his whole body suddenly feeling sluggish.

Every step required an immense effort, and the sword in his hand felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

In the next instant, the scene shifted abruptly.

For some reason, he found himself bound to a crucifix.

No matter how hard he struggled or how much he tried to release his reiatsu, it was all in vain.

Itachi appeared before him, still holding that silver-glowing blade.

The blade was placed against his neck, and Hitsugaya's eyes widened in shock.

He found it difficult to breathe, forced to gasp for air in deep, labored breaths.

"You've lost."

The sharp edge sliced through flesh.

In an instant, the world spun around him—an overwhelming sense of weightlessness overtook him as his vision flipped.

He saw his own headless body still bound to the cross.

Had he… died?

Swish!

Hitsugaya's vision blurred, and he suddenly snapped back to reality.

The previous scene shattered like fragile glass, and his knees gave out as he collapsed to the ground.

The smooth floor beneath him was scattered with ice shards.

He remained there in silence for a long time.

Lifting his head, he saw Itachi still standing in the same spot.

The audience around them was eerily silent, the Sekkiseki of the combat arena still standing tall.

Hitsugaya swallowed hard. "Just now…"

Was it all an illusion?

But why did the feeling of being beheaded and nearing death feel so real?

Hitsugaya couldn't help but reach up and touch his neck—it was still intact.

He took one last look at the sword in Itachi's hand and fell silent for a long moment before finally speaking.

"…I lost."

When he had been trapped in the illusion, his opponent could have finished him off at any time.

By holding back, Itachi had given him a dignified way out.

Hitsugaya had wanted to win, but in the end, his skills were simply not enough.

He exhaled deeply and repeated, "I concede."

The surrounding audience erupted into an uproar.

To them, all they had seen was Itachi seemingly releasing his second blade—then Hitsugaya suddenly froze in place, and before long, he had fallen to his knees and voluntarily admitted defeat.

Some of the more knowledgeable spectators quickly realized that Itachi's second blade was likely an illusion-type weapon—one that had trapped Hitsugaya in a powerful hallucination, ultimately deciding the battle.

In the captains' seating area, Unohana gazed at the two fighters in the arena and murmured softly, "An illusion-type blade…"

Beside her, Gin suddenly spoke with a playful smile, "Illusion-type blades seem pretty rare, don't they? What do you think, Captain Aizen?"

Aizen's eyes flickered as he looked in Itachi's direction.

After a brief pause, he returned Gin's smile—warm and composed.

"Indeed, they are quite rare. The Ten Crown Guards' three Nichirin Blades are all very impressive."

Unohana spoke, "However, the Nichirin Blades in the Living World should not be limited to just these three. Whether the other Ten Crown Guards have obtained Nichirin Blades is still uncertain. Even without them, they are already incredibly strong."

Too many of the Ten Crown Guards had yet to show their full power.

Those who had won their matches had clearly been holding back—Might Guy, Hatake Kakashi, Mitarashi Anko, Uchiha Shisui, and Yakushi Kabuto had all displayed a level of ease in their battles.

Of course, many Shinigami had also held back.

Although the overall outcome of the exchange event seemed to favor the ninjas, it was still impossible to determine definitively whether ninjas or Shinigami were stronger.

However, this exchange event would undoubtedly change the perception of some within the Soul Society regarding the ninja from the Living World.

Future policies and strategies were bound to shift as a result.

Many had initially treated the ninjas with the same attitude they held toward regular humans from their own world.

But after this event, they would be forced to truly acknowledge the reality—

The people of the Living World, and the Sun Empire, were forces that could stand on equal footing with them.

With the conclusion of all the exhibition matches, Sasakibe Chojiro completed the final formalities, and Makoto ordered the broadcasting team to end the live transmission.

Head Captain Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni then delivered a speech, primarily addressing the relationship between Shinigami and ninjas.

His words were highly official and diplomatic.

At Yamamoto's invitation, the Emperor of the Living World also spoke.

Makoto stated that in the future, whenever Shinigami carried out missions in the Living World, they could request assistance from the local Ninja Guilds at any time.

In the interest of world harmony and stability, the Ninja Guilds would provide aid to the Shinigami free of charge.

Makoto then added, "You are all welcome to visit the Imperial capital, Konoha, whenever you have the time. Konoha will warmly welcome you."

Yamamoto had not expected those words.

He did not approve of Shinigami casually visiting the Living World.

In his view, the boundary between life and death had to remain clear—if not, humans might lose their reverence for death and, by extension, their respect for life itself.

With the exchange event concluded, the nobles and Central 46 members, who had been watching the entire time, eagerly approached.

They warmly announced that a grand banquet had already been prepared to honor the esteemed guests from the Empire.

On the Shinigami side, only the captains were permitted to attend the banquet since nobles were present.

Vice-captains and other officers could only stand by and assist as needed.

Abarai Renji and others could only watch the beautifully prepared dishes, their mouths watering, but they had to endure their hunger.

Inside the grand hall, two elegant banquet tables were set.

The Ten Crown Guards and the captains sat together.

With naturally sociable people like Kyoraku and Shisui present, the atmosphere remained lively rather than awkward.

Unohana, intrigued by Tsunade's medical techniques, eagerly discussed them with her.

In return, she explained the Shinigami healing arts, Kaido.

The two became absorbed in their conversation, seemingly oblivious to those around them.

Kyoraku, holding his cup of sake with a smile, casually asked Hakumen whether he possessed a Nichirin Blade.

Hakumen replied, "His Majesty did intend to grant me one, but I declined."

"Why?" Many, including Kyoraku, were curious.

"We of the Hyuga Clan do not favor the use of weapons," Hakumen explained.

Hyūga…

Kyōraku stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Hakume-kun shares the same surname as His Majesty."

"His Majesty and I come from the same clan. Even before the Empire was founded, I served as His Majesty's personal guard," Hakumen explained.

Kyoraku then inquired about Hakumen's eyes, and he did not conceal anything.

After all, the Byakugan was well-known across the entire ninja world.

"A 360-degree field of vision with extreme long-range sight!"

The captains exchanged glances, clearly astonished by this revelation.

Aizen lightly adjusted his glasses but remained silent.

Gin suddenly turned to Tosen with his usual sly smile and asked, "Jealous?"

Tōsen, silent for a moment, almost reached for his sword.

With his natural charisma, Kyoraku remained lively and talkative throughout the banquet.

After listening to Hakumen's explanation of ninja bloodline limits, he then attempted to strike up conversations with the women among the Ten Crown Guards.

However, Anko was rather indifferent, while Tsunade was still deep in discussion with Unohana about medical techniques.

When Kyoraku approached with his sake cup, Unohana merely gave him a gentle yet knowing smile—enough to make him instantly back down.

He then tried chatting with Mei and Pakura, but unfortunately for him, neither of them had any interest in someone with his "old man" energy.

Nanao Ise, watching her captain embarrassing himself from the sidelines, adjusted her glasses with a sigh. "What an idiot."

Meanwhile, Hitsugaya glanced across the table at Itachi, who was sipping a non-alcoholic drink.

"You don't drink?" he asked.

"I'm not old enough to drink yet," Itachi replied.

Hitsugaya blinked, suddenly realizing that, as someone from the living world, Itachi was likely only around thirteen or fourteen years old.

I actually lost to a kid…

Itachi, noticing the drink in front of Hitsugaya, then asked, "Why are you allowed to drink?"

Hitsugaya responded with a deadpan expression, "I'm over a hundred years old!"

Itachi stared at him, looking genuinely shocked.

"How is he still this weak after living for over a hundred years…?"

Itachi couldn't help but grumble in his heart.

Meanwhile, Shisui was persistently trying to convince Sajin Komamura to take off his iron helmet, arguing that wearing it at a banquet made no sense, especially since it prevented him from eating anything.

Komamura pointed at Kakashi and retorted, "He's wearing a mask too, and he's not eating either."

Guy, on the other hand, was busy devouring his food enthusiastically when Zaraki Kenpachi suddenly asked, "Are you the strongest among you?"

With his mouth full, Guy mumbled through his chewing, "Kakashi and the others are strong too."

Kakashi's strength had already been displayed in his duel against Byakuya, so everyone present was well aware of his capabilities.

Kenpachi then turned his gaze toward Kakashi. "Then are you the strongest?"

Byakuya, overhearing the conversation, also shifted his attention to Kakashi.

Since he had lost to him, it would at least be a little easier on his pride if Kakashi ranked among the strongest of the Ten Crown Guards.

Kakashi, however, remained calm and simply replied, "No."

Suddenly, Shisui, with a mischievous smile, added fuel to the fire.

"Guy-senpai is the strongest. His Majesty once said that if Guy-senpai were to go all out, the nine of us together wouldn't be his match."

For a moment, the entire banquet fell into silence—everyone had heard that statement.

Hearing this, Kenpachi grinned and said to Guy, "Next time, I'll make sure you go all out!"

He knew well that there was a considerable gap between their strength.

Guy simply tilted his head and then smiled. "Well, good luck with that."

Meanwhile, Kyoraku suddenly threw an arm around Hakumen shoulders and teased, "Aren't you the leader of the Ten Crown Guards, Hakumen-kun? How come you're not the strongest?"

Hakumen's expression darkened instantly.

He had no idea when their relationship had gotten close enough for this kind of familiarity.

Though he considered himself quite easygoing, Kyoraku's boundary-less social style was honestly a bit overwhelming.

Shisui, ever the troublemaker, chimed in again, "Hakumen-senpai is the sole pilot of the Brutal Justice—if we're talking about strength, we should probably count that as well."

"Brutal Justice…"

Some of the captains showed puzzled expressions, while others seemed deep in thought.

Kyoraku asked, "Are you talking about… that giant outside Konoha?"

The Brutal Justice was indeed mentioned in their intelligence reports.

It was a towering construct, revered among the people as the Heavenly God of Justice—said to be capable of soaring through the skies, tunneling through the earth, moving mountains, and filling seas.

With a mere gesture, it could wipe out an entire nation…

Kenpachi, however, asked bluntly, "Is that Brutal Justice really that strong?"

He didn't even know what it was—he was just asking out of curiosity.

Shisui smiled mischievously and said, "Well… that would be classified imperial information."

Aizen chuckled softly, "It seems the strength of the Sun Empire far exceeds our imagination."

Kabuto suddenly interjected, "The empire was only recently established—it's not that strong. The only one who has ever truly been powerful is His Majesty."

Mei glanced toward Makoto, who was seated at another long table, engaged in conversation with Head Captain Yamamoto and a group of nobles.

His Majesty…

"What are you looking at?"

A voice suddenly sounded beside her, and Mei quickly turned her head, only to see Pakura smiling at her.

Mei instantly felt a bit embarrassed. "It's nothing."

At the table, the group continued discussing the differences between ninjas and Shinigami, each side finding the other fascinating.

The topic soon shifted to Kekkei Genkai, and Hakumen suddenly mentioned that the Uchiha Clan also possessed a unique dojutsu that was as renowned as the Byakugan.

"The Uchiha Clan is one of Konoha's founding families, a prestigious noble house in the ninja world. They possess one of the Three Great Dojutsu as their Kekkei Genkai, making them no less formidable than our Hyuga Clan."

Shisui's warm, sunlit smile always made people feel at ease.

"Ah, you mean the Sharingan."

His originally pitch-black eyes suddenly turned blood-red, revealing a pattern of three tomoe.

Sharingan… Byakugan…

The gathered captains were all astonished.

Kyōraku asked, "What's the difference between the Sharingan and the Byakugan?"

Shisui chuckled. "Since you're not ninjas, you probably wouldn't fully understand. As for the abilities of the Sharingan…"

His gaze swept across the crowd, and whether intentionally or not, he glanced toward the seat where Makoto was sitting.

At Makoto's Table

"Your Majesty, this 'Tower of Solarity' you mentioned—what kind of structure is it?"

A member of the Central 46 inquired.

"It serves many functions," Makoto explained briefly to those present.

"It can deter evildoers, annihilate enemies, protect cities, and shelter citizens. It can also act as an energy hub or a signal base station."

Yamamoto remained silent, his expression unreadable.

Makoto continued, "If it were built in Seireitei, it would significantly strengthen the connection between the Empire and the Soul Society. Of course, if your side is genuinely interested, the tower would be built under your full control, and any unnecessary functions would be excluded. Our role would only be to provide the technology. If needed, we can have in-depth discussions on the technical aspects—Konoha will be completely transparent and cooperative."

"With the Tower of Solarity, the Soul Society would officially integrate with the living world. Many technological advancements could be introduced seamlessly, eliminating numerous technical obstacles."

Many at the table fell into deep thought.

"Head Captain, what do you think?"

In such a formal setting, Yamamoto couldn't outright reject the offer in a way that would offend anyone, so he simply said, "Since His Majesty has made this generous offer, we should at least deliberate on it carefully."

His meaning was clear—this matter should be discussed privately at a later time.

"I actually think this tower should be built."

Suddenly, a noble spoke up.

Yamamoto frowned slightly and turned to see that it was a member of the Tsunayashiro family.

"Indeed, I agree. Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri of the 12th Division is highly skilled in this field. He could oversee the project."

"With this, our ties with the Empire would deepen."

For a moment, the table was filled with voices of agreement.

Yamamoto's heart sank.

He couldn't understand what these nobles were thinking, and more importantly, shouldn't a decision of this magnitude be made by the full assembly of the Central 46?

Makoto raised his cup with a bright smile and said, "To the friendship between the Empire and Seireitei, and to the stability of the world—cheers."

"To peace!"

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