As Sima Ming recited the release incantation, a pale violet light slowly gathered around him.
But the next moment, his expression froze.
The Zanpakutō that should have materialized never appeared.
Instead…
Kushina, who had been standing right in front of him, suddenly vanished without a trace.
Sima Ming and the Nine-Tails stared at one another in stunned silence.
Neither of them understood what had just happened.
The most unbelievable part was that…
He had actually been separated from Kushina.
Unable to believe it, Sima Ming reached out and waved his hand through the spot where she had been standing.
There was nothing there.
She hadn’t become invisible.
She had truly disappeared.
With a thought, he immediately left the Tailed Beast Space.
The moment he saw the familiar figure before him, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
“Kushina… did you feel anything just now?”
Still dazed by what had happened, Kushina slowly came back to her senses.
“M-Ming-kun…”
“Your sword…”
“The sword…”
Sima Ming quickly stepped forward.
Looking past Kushina’s shoulder, he finally saw it.
His Zanpakutō.
However…
It wasn’t in her hand.
It had been embedded directly into her chest.
“Kushina!”
“Are you alright?”
Sima Ming’s face changed dramatically.
“I’m fine.”
“I just… can’t seem to pull it out.”
Hearing that, he immediately realized something.
Considering Kushina’s petite figure, a blade that long should have pierced straight through her body.
The fact that it hadn’t…
Meant it wasn’t physically lodged inside her in the normal sense.
Remembering certain unusual abilities from his previous world, Sima Ming cautiously reached out and grasped the hilt.
Very slowly…
He began pulling the sword free.
Throughout the entire process, he remained completely focused on Kushina’s condition.
If she showed even the slightest sign of pain…
He was prepared to stop immediately.
“Mmm…”
As the Zanpakutō was gradually withdrawn, Kushina’s ears turned crimson.
A soft, involuntary moan escaped her lips.
By the time the blade had been completely removed, her legs had gone weak.
She nearly collapsed.
Without even looking at the sword, Sima Ming immediately caught her and pulled her into his arms.
“How do you feel?”
“Are you alright?”
“It feels…”
“It feels really good…”
“N-No…”
“I mean… I’m fine.”
Her eyes remained slightly unfocused.
Only after hearing her answer did Sima Ming finally lower his gaze toward the Zanpakutō in his hand.
The sword’s overall appearance hadn’t changed.
However…
A crimson-red line, identical to the color of Kushina’s hair, now ran along the spine of the blade.
At the same time…
Its Shikai ability had completely transformed.
Originally, Kyōen’s Shikai revealed weaknesses hidden within an opponent’s emotions, allowing attacks that struck directly at the soul.
Unfortunately, its activation required too much preparation.
Real enemies wouldn’t stand still waiting for the technique to work.
Aside from mindless Hollows, he had rarely found opportunities to use it effectively.
Now…
Everything was different.
“Kyōka…”
“Love Prison.”
As the information flowed naturally into his mind, Sima Ming softly spoke the Zanpakutō’s new name.
Instantly…
The blade burst into brilliant crimson light.
Eight scarlet chains shot outward from the sword, dancing around him in every direction.
The chains formed a wide-area attack capable of striking everything nearby without discrimination.
Kushina stared at them in astonishment.
Except for their color…
They looked almost identical to the Adamantine Sealing Chains of the Uzumaki Clan.
“Ming-kun…”
“This is…”
Before she could finish speaking, Sima Ming suddenly embraced her tightly.
“Kushina…”
“You’ve helped me more than you know.”
“You repaired my Zanpakutō…”
“And even transformed its once-impractical ability into something truly powerful.”
“I don’t even know how to thank you.”
“How about I give you another massage?”
Kushina’s heart skipped a beat.
She immediately remembered how refreshed and relaxed she had felt after his previous massage.
For a brief moment…
She nearly agreed.
Then reality returned.
It was still broad daylight.
Naruto would wake up soon, and she would need to feed him.
Suppressing the temptation, she gently shook her head.
“Just being able to help you is enough, Ming-kun.”
“You’ve already helped me so much.”
Sima Ming quickly calmed down as well.
Now really wasn’t the right time.
Shifting his attention away from the beautiful figure before him, he carefully examined his Zanpakutō again.
He could clearly sense that each of the eight crimson chains contained countless invisible blades.
Judging by their power…
Even a Menos Grande would likely be shredded into pieces.
At the same time, he sensed another possibility.
The eight chains could eventually merge into a single one.
Unfortunately, he had only just awakened the ability and hadn’t yet mastered that level of control.
Even more importantly…
Maintaining the chains consumed none of his own spiritual power.
That meant he could remain in Shikai almost indefinitely.
His endurance in battle had increased dramatically.
Since there was no need to fight right now, Sima Ming spent some time familiarizing himself with the new ability before finally releasing it.
The crimson chains disappeared.
His translucent, crystal-like Zanpakutō quietly returned to its scabbard.
Kushina had completely lost interest in continuing her training with the Nine-Tails’ chakra.
Instead, she slowly walked over to the sofa and sat down.
Before Sima Ming could react…
She gently pulled him down beside her.
Resting comfortably in his lap, she looked up at him with curiosity.
“Ming-kun…”
“Can you tell me about your past?”
As he absentmindedly continued caring for little Naruto’s “food supply,” Sima Ming began telling her about his life as a Soul Reaper in Soul Society.
Kushina listened with sparkling eyes.
“Amazing…”
“So Ming-kun is actually a god from the Pure Land?”
Sima Ming awkwardly rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“Well…”
“I suppose that’s not entirely wrong.”
God?
He couldn’t help smiling bitterly.
Soul Reapers were nothing more than overworked employees.
Calling them gods felt like giving them far too much credit.
Meanwhile, the soft warmth beneath his fingertips reminded him that his work wasn’t finished.
So he continued carefully while recounting his experiences in Soul Society.
It wasn’t until Yakushi Nono returned carrying baby Naruto that Sima Ming reluctantly stopped.
He cast a slightly resentful glance toward the little boy.
Perfect timing…
Yakushi Nono sat beside them, then looked at Kushina with concern.
“Kushina-sama…”
“Your face is incredibly red.”
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“Would you like me to examine you?”
Kushina, who had just begun breastfeeding Naruto, froze.
She hurriedly shook her head.
“N-No.”
“I’m perfectly fine.”
“I was just exercising.”
“It’s probably because of the heat.”
Seeing that Kushina otherwise appeared healthy, Yakushi Nono decided she had simply worried too much.
To change the subject, Kushina smiled and asked,
“How are things at the orphanage?”
A warm smile immediately spread across Yakushi Nono’s face.
“The children are all wonderful.”
“They’re obedient…”
“And they’ve helped me a great deal.”
The gentle maternal warmth on her face reminded Kushina very much of her own feelings whenever she looked at Naruto.
Resting his chin lightly on Kushina’s shoulder, Sima Ming suddenly spoke.
“That child you mentioned before…”
“Yakushi Kabuto.”
“Pay special attention to him.”
“He has exceptional talent.”
“If he’s properly nurtured…”
“He won’t be much weaker than Kakashi.”
Without revealing anything unusual, Kushina smoothly shifted the conversation toward Kabuto.
Yakushi Nono didn’t suspect anything.
Instead, she happily recounted how Kabuto had come to the orphanage and how he had grown up there.
Three more days passed in the blink of an eye.
Finally…
Kakashi returned to Konoha.
Walking beside him was a nervous red-haired woman carrying a swaddled infant in her arms.
She cautiously looked around the unfamiliar streets of Konoha.
“Karin-san…”
“Please come with me to meet Lord Hokage first.”
“Once I’ve reported the mission…”
“I’ll take you to meet Lady Kushina.”
The woman nodded quietly.
She was…
Uzumaki Karin.