On the rooftop of the Urahara Shop, Sasuke sat alone cross-legged, the Zanpakuto named takemikazuchi resting horizontally across his lap, its blade reflecting the lonely night sky.
The night in Karakura Town was much noisier than in Konoha.
But none of that concerned him.
His thoughts were entirely immersed in the words Kisuke Urahara had spoken recently.
“…Its essence is extremely similar to a ‘Hollow’; one could even say it is the embryonic form of a Hollow forcibly stuffed into your Soul.”
Hollow…
Sasuke’s brow furrowed slightly, and a hint of disgust flashed in his eyes.
The Hollow is a fallen Soul.
When a Plus, a normal spiritual body, lingers in the Human World for too long, the Chain of Karma on its chest begins to be eroded due to intense obsession with something in the Human World.
Once the chain is completely eroded, a hole opens in the Soul’s chest, its mind is gradually consumed by desire, reason is lost, and it eventually falls into a monster that only knows how to devour other Souls.
This is a Hollow.
A sorrowful creature born from obsession, driven by desire, ultimately losing its self and becoming a slave to instinct.
And now, this disgusting thing actually existed inside his own body?
To him, this was an intolerable insult.
He believed Kisuke Urahara’s diagnosis, but not entirely.
He had to confirm the truth with his own eyes.
He slowly closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking deep into his Soul.
Zanshin.
This was his most familiar method of cultivation, and the path he used to explore his own Soul.
In the past, whenever he entered his mental world, he was always greeted by a desolate plain covered in thunderclouds, with his Zanpakuto suspended in the air.
This time, however, when his consciousness solidified into form again, what met his eyes was not that familiar lightning wasteland.
It was a blood-red street, with the doors and windows of the surrounding houses wide open, and messy corpses scattered everywhere.
The sky was also enveloped by an eerie, blood-red crescent moon.
This place was…
the Uchiha Clan Compound.
His inner world, for some unknown reason, had turned into this Hell he refused to look back upon.
Sasuke’s gaze instantly became wary.
He gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist, and Spiritual Pressure slowly seeped out from his body as he cautiously scanned the surroundings.
Why had it become like this?
Just then, he heard footsteps.
They were very light, slowly approaching from the end of the street.
A small, thin figure was stepping out of the darkness, one step at a time, bathed in the blood-red Gekko.
It was a child, wearing the familiar blue short-sleeved shirt he remembered, marked with the Uchiha Clan’s fan crest.
Uchiha Sasuke’s pupils suddenly contracted.
Short black hair, a childish face…
everything was exactly as he had been when he was seven years old.
Sasuke’s Soul body stood silently in place, watching that “self” approach step by step.
It wasn’t until the figure stopped not far from him and lifted its head.
Their eyes met.
Sasuke saw those eyes clearly.
Then, his gaze slowly dropped, landing on the child’s chest.
There, a pitch-black cavity was slowly rotating.
A Hollow.
Kisuke Urahara had not lied to him.
The monster entrenched deep within his Soul, when materialized, had taken the form of his seven-year-old self.
It was the weakest, most helpless, and most hateful version of himself.
Sasuke’s expression became extremely grim, and he gripped the sword hilt tightly.
He looked at the self before him, looked at the cavity, and was about to say something—
“Get out.”
However, he was not the one who spoke the words.
It was the seven-year-old “Sasuke” with the cavity in his chest.
The instant the words fell, Sasuke suddenly felt a powerful repulsive force thunder forth from the entire inner world!
It was as if he were the outsider in his own inner world.
“What—?!”
Sasuke didn’t even have time to react; his consciousness was instantly twisted by this brutal force and then violently kicked out…
On the rooftop, Sasuke’s body trembled violently, his eyes snapped open, and he let out a sharp gasp.
He supported himself with one hand on the tiles, a fine layer of cold sweat beading on his forehead.
That feeling just now…
he had been expelled from his own inner world.
He had been kicked out of his own Soul by that Hollow.
A strong sense of humiliation suddenly surged into his heart.
“Meow~”
A lazy cat’s meow broke the silence.
Sasuke looked towards the sound, seeing an entirely black cat stepping out from the shadow of the eaves.
It stopped nearby, tilting its head, seemingly examining him with curiosity.
Was it Kisuke Urahara’s cat?
Sasuke’s taut nerves relaxed slightly.
He slowly exhaled, forcibly suppressing the irritation in his heart.
Sasuke reached out, picked up the black cat, placed it on his lap, and stroked its smooth back steadily.
The cat did not resist, merely squinted its eyes comfortably, a purring sound rumbling in its throat.
Against a creature that cannot speak, people always seem to find it easier to let down their guard.
“How ridiculous.”
Sasuke mocked himself in a low voice, speaking both to the cat and to himself.
“It’s clearly my inner world, yet I was kicked out of it.”
The hand stroking the black cat paused slightly, and his thoughts were pulled back to that blood-red world.
“It’s just a coward who only hides in the shadows of the past; one day, I will personally drag you out, and then…”
“And then what?”
A deep male voice abruptly rang out from his arms.
Sasuke’s stroking motion instantly froze.
He lowered his head and met the gaze of those luminous cat eyes.
The cat tilted its head back, staring calmly at him, as if it had been the one speaking just now.
Sasuke paused for a moment, then quickly recovered his composed demeanor and continued scratching the cat’s chin unhurriedly.
“…You are more composed than I imagined.”
The black cat looked at him with interest.
“I thought you’d be so startled you’d throw me right off.”
Sasuke didn’t answer its question, merely glancing at it indifferently, but the image of Kakashi flashed through his mind.
He had previously summoned a talking ninja dog, though its personality was a bit eccentric.
Furthermore, although rare, Sasuke had seen talking ninja cats even in the Uchiha Clan Compound.
In this world full of strange abilities, the appearance of a talking cat didn’t seem like anything to be overly surprised about.
Pulling back his thoughts, he refocused his attention on the creature in his arms.
“Did Kisuke Urahara send you to monitor me?” Sasuke’s tone was flat.
“The word ‘monitor’ is unpleasant.”
The black cat flicked its tail, its voice carrying a hint of amusement.
“I was merely curious about the interesting person Urahara mentioned.”
It extended a paw and lightly pressed Sasuke’s hand.
“Just now, your Spiritual Pressure was very unstable.”
The black cat shifted into a more comfortable position, curling up on Sasuke’s lap.
“Did you go inside and see ‘that thing’?”
Sasuke remained silent, only continuing to stroke the cat’s back, which served as confirmation.
The black cat seemed to sense his poor mood and simply lay there quietly, not pressing the matter further.
After a long while, Sasuke spoke again, his voice much softer.
“Hey.”
“Hmm?” the black cat responded lazily.
“What is your name?”
The black cat seemed surprised by the question, pausing for a moment before letting out a soft laugh.
“Me?
My name is…”
It deliberately drew out the sound, then lifted its head, its golden eyes shining brightly under the Gekko.
“Shihoin Yoruichi.”
…..