“The Anbu are outside.
I’ll take my leave first.”
No sooner had he spoken than Ryuha Uchiha executed Shunpo, flickering several times before vanishing from the courtyard.
Sakumo Hatake stood up and walked toward the main gate.
Having reclaimed his Nindo, he was now fearless.
“Sakumo-sama, just now, why did you…”
The Anbu ninja cut himself off halfway through his sentence.
Noticing the Chakra surging over Sakumo Hatake’s short blade, he immediately turned and departed.
It was unmistakable: for reasons unknown, this former White Fang of Konoha had stood tall once again.
“Sakumo Hatake, do not leave your residence recently.
Await the Hokage’s summons.”
This news had to be reported to the Hokage immediately!
…
By the time Ryuha Uchiha returned to his quarters in the Uchiha clan compound, it was already 3:00 AM.
Upon parting, Sakumo Hatake had said nothing, only clapping a heavy hand on Ryuha’s shoulder.
That force was heavy, bearing a weighty promise.
Everything had settled.
Ryuha closed the door, leaned his back against it, and let out a long breath.
His tense nerves finally relaxed.
But he did not rest.
On the contrary, an unprecedented surge of excitement rushed through his veins alongside his blood.
Ten thousand Causality Points!
An SSR Designated Ticket!
He paced quickly to the center of the room and sat cross-legged.
“System, pull up the inventory.”
[Acknowledged.]
The card radiating a rainbow glow floated quietly in his conscious space, like a star waiting to be plucked.
Ryuha’s gaze landed upon it, his heartbeat quickening slightly.
What should he choose?
He had pondered this question countless times on his way back.
Offense, defense, sustainability, special abilities…
every direction offered top-tier choices.
But ultimately, one name froze in his mind.
Not the all-destroying flames of Ryujin Jakka, nor the ultimate penetration of Shinso.
But rather—
“Senbonzakura.”
He softly spoke the name.
[Confirm designation: Zanpakuto · Senbonzakura (including Shikai and Bankai forms)?]
“Confirm.”
The instant his voice fell—
*Buzz!!!*
Within his conscious space, the rainbow designated ticket suddenly erupted with brilliant pinkish-white light.
Out of the light, phantom shapes of countless cherry blossom petals appeared out of nowhere, swirling and flying to form a massive vortex.
At the center of the vortex, a slender Zanpakuto slowly materialized—its blade mirror-clear, its tsuba shaped like a handguard, and the end of its hilt adorned with a pink tassel.
At the same time, all information regarding this Zanpakuto flooded into Ryuha’s mind like a tide.
Senbonzakura.
Byakuya Kuchiki’s Zanpakuto.
Release command (Shikai): “Scatter, Senbonzakura.”
Ability: Disintegrates the blade into countless tiny, invisible blades, manipulating them for both offense and defense.
The number of blades and the precision of control increase with the user’s Spiritual Pressure.
When dancing through the air, the blades resemble drifting cherry blossoms—beautiful yet deadly.
Bankai: “Senbonzakura Kageyoshi.”
Divided into three forms:
“Goken”: Senbonzakura’s countless blades group together into a spherical column surrounding the enemy, shredding them from all angles with no dead spots.
“Senkei”: Arranges Senbonzakura’s blades into a specific formation, creating a domain of swords.
Within this domain, the attack speed and power of the blades increase significantly.
“Shukei: Hakuteiken”: Condenses the power of all blades into a single giant sword of light, unleashing an ultimate strike with power comparable to a nuclear explosion!
The stream of information came to an abrupt halt.
The light receded.
A brand-new card appeared in Ryuha’s inventory.
[SSR · Zanpakuto · Senbonzakura]
[Status: Bound]
[Shikai Ability: Fully Unlocked (Base blade count: 1,000 petals, grows with Spiritual Pressure)]
[Bankai Ability: Pre-loaded]
[Bankai Unlock Requirement: Spiritual Pressure reaches Lieutenant-level (Met; barely drivable)]
[Bankai Restriction: At current Spiritual Pressure level, Bankai state can be maintained for a maximum of 30 seconds.
Exceeding the time limit will severely drain mental energy, potentially leading to unconsciousness.
Requires at least 24 hours to recover after use.]
[Compatibility: 1% (Initial)]
[Note: Senbonzakura is a high-control Zanpakuto, requiring immense mental energy and precise control to unleash its true power.
The Host’s Kyoka Suigetsu has excellent affinity with this blade; the growth speed of compatibility will be accelerated.]
Ryuha opened his eyes.
Inside the room, moonlight streamed through the window, spreading a blanket of silver across the floor.
He looked down at the Shinobi Saber at his waist—a standard-issue Uchiha weapon made of ordinary steel, with nothing special about it other than being sturdy.
But now…
Ryuha reached out and gripped the hilt.
It felt cool to the touch.
He closed his eyes and sank his consciousness into his body, sensing a force derived from the same source as Kyoka Suigetsu, yet completely distinct.
Sharper, more…
magnificent.
“Scatter…”
He chanted softly, his voice gentle as an incantation.
“Senbonzakura.”
*Clang—!*
An extremely subtle, crisp sound rang out, like glass shattering.
Starting from the tip, the Shinobi Saber at his waist dissolved silently.
The saber broke into billions of tiny silver blades, nearly invisible to the naked eye and finer than strands of hair.
Under the moonlight, these blades reflected a faint, cherry-blossom-like pinkish-white halo.
Like cherry blossom petals scattered by the wind, they danced lightly into the air.
They circled around Ryuha, spinning slowly.
Free of sound or atmospheric disruption, it was so quiet it felt like an illusion.
But Ryuha could clearly feel that every single blade was linked to his consciousness.
He “saw” them as clearly as if seeing extensions of his own fingers.
With a slight thought, one blade broke away from the flow and shot silently toward the wall.
*Pfft.*
A faint sound.
A needle-sized hole appeared on the wall, through which the outside scenery was visible.
The blade returned, merging back into the swirling stream.
Ryuha opened his eyes.
Watching the dance of blades fluttering around him like a rain of cherry blossoms, the corners of his lips curved up slightly.
Beautiful.
Deadly.
And…
a perfect match for Kyoka Suigetsu.
Kyoka Suigetsu controls the five senses, plunging enemies into illusions.
While Senbonzakura operates in the physical world, striking with billions of blades across every conceivable angle.
One illusion, one reality; one deception, one slaughter.
“Perfect.”
Ryuha murmured to himself.
He shifted his thoughts once more.
“Rest.”
The scattering blades instantly flew back, reuniting in his hand to reform that ordinary Shinobi Saber.
The blade was intact, without even a hairline crack.
As if the brilliant rain of cherry blossoms just now had been nothing more than a dream.
But Ryuha Uchiha knew it was no dream.
That was power held in his own hand.
Power sufficient to slash through any obstacle.
“I’ll save the Elite ten-pull for right before the Third Shinobi World War.
Hopefully, I’ll have good luck.”
Sheathing his blade, he walked over to the window and looked out at the sky as it gradually lightened.
Dawn was approaching.
And Konoha was about to welcome an unexpected…
“Return of the Hero.”