Sasuke didn't disturb the Minato family reunion any further and quietly left without a word.
Back at home, Sasuke stepped into his room and gently closed the door behind him.
"Sasuke…" he called softly, but no answer came—not even the slightest response from within his own soul.
"Uchiha Sasuke…" he called again, slightly louder this time, but it was still the same—only silence.
Then, almost instinctively, Sasuke entered his Zanpakutō's inner world. Within his spirit realm, his soul still took the form of a black-haired boy dressed in a dark haori.
Everything remained unchanged—no visible abnormalities. Maybe I was just overthinking things, Sasuke considered.
Since he was already here, he figured he might as well resume Bankai training.
Putting aside his doubts, Sasuke advanced toward Senbonzakura's domain.
Moments later, the portion of the inner world that belonged to Senbonzakura erupted into motion. Countless petal-like blades twisted into a giant hand and lunged at Sasuke. He used Shunpo to evade rapidly, and although Senbonzakura kept attacking, it failed to land a blow.
Retreating wasn't an option—he had to press forward.
Sasuke took a deep breath, tightened his grip on the Zanpakutō, and used Shunpo again to close in on Senbonzakura's form.
He darted across the battlefield, and the razor-sharp petals failed to keep pace.
But Senbonzakura quickly adapted. The blades condensed into a spherical barrier, enclosing Sasuke from all directions.
Senbonzakura clenched its hand, and the blade sphere instantly contracted. If Sasuke didn't act fast, he would be shredded alive.
"Hadō #88: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō!"
A surge of white-blue lightning exploded forth, blasting a narrow path through the encircling petals. Sasuke darted through the opening, charging directly at Senbonzakura.
The barrier of invulnerability was just ahead. Sasuke sensed that victory was within reach.
"Hadō #78: Zangerin!"
The spiraling Kido strike tore open a portion of Senbonzakura's blade-wall with an 85cm radius. Sasuke immediately launched three rapid Shunpo steps forward and appeared in front of Senbonzakura.
It worked!
Excitement surged through him. Sasuke stretched out his left hand toward the mask on Senbonzakura's face—his fingers even brushed against the demon-like mask. But the moment he made contact, Senbonzakura vanished.
In a blink, the spirit reappeared two or three meters in front of him. Because Senbonzakura had shifted positions, the barrier of invulnerability relocated as well, and Sasuke's previous position was instantly engulfed by a sea of petal blades.
He froze momentarily—and in that brief lapse, an overwhelming wave of blades closed in from all directions.
"AAAHHHH!!!"
The countless blades tore through Sasuke's spiritual body, ripping at his soul and eliciting a scream of agony.
Moments later, Sasuke lay collapsed on the ground, his soul body covered in deep lacerations.
Senbonzakura stepped toward him and casually waved his hand. Instantly, Sasuke's wounds began to mend. This was the spirit realm—injuries inflicted by the Zanpakutō spirit could be healed at will.
"We need more speed. The reaction time isn't enough. If I had immediately chained another Shunpo, it wouldn't have ended so abruptly," Sasuke muttered, analyzing the fight and shaking his head in regret.
Senbonzakura gave another wave of the hand. The billions of tiny blades drifted back to the cherry blossom tree and transformed into fluttering petals. The spirit then sat beneath the tree in silence.
Realizing it was getting late, Sasuke exited the Zanpakutō inner world. His family had just moved into their new home, and much of the unpacking remained. So, Sasuke went out to help with the organization.
He had already come to a conclusion about the issue with his soul. If Uchiha Sasuke's essence had truly fused with his own, then so be it. But if that consciousness still existed independently within him, he resolved to return the body to its rightful owner.
Now that he had mastered artificial prosthetic soul and gigai technology, he no longer needed the body as urgently.
"Sasuke, once we finish up here, go pack what you need for tomorrow," Itachi said while arranging a vase in place.
"Huh? We're heading out tomorrow?" Sasuke blinked, caught slightly off guard.
"Our Unit 11 hasn't operated together in the field since being fully assembled," Itachi replied, tapping Sasuke lightly on the forehead with a smile. "It took half a month just to relocate the clan. It's time we accepted a mission."
Sasuke winced and rubbed his forehead. I'll definitely poke him back next time…, he thought. Still, he understood Itachi's logic. Idle shinobi without active village roles weren't supposed to remain inactive—especially not when it came to maintaining the mission commission flow.
"Alright, I get it," Sasuke agreed.
Although he preferred to carry out missions solo, he had no valid excuse to reject Itachi's suggestion.
That said, Sasuke increasingly felt constrained by the village—unable to train freely, constantly tied down by protocol. He needed to find a good reason to go out on his own again.
The next day, Unit 11 assembled at the village task board.
Karin stayed close to Sasuke's side while Itachi browsed for a suitable assignment. Sai had shown up too, but he remained distant, perched on a rock gazing at the sky. Occasionally, he'd glance their way, but his eyes always shifted evasively.
After Danzo had vanished for six months, Root had fallen into disarray. Without orders, chaos had spread quickly. Not long ago, Minato had officially integrated remaining Root members into active ninja squads, and Sai's identity had been exposed.
Minato had already informed Itachi of this, but they'd known for some time and chose not to react. Their team lineup remained unchanged.
"This one. Escort mission for a merchant caravan," Itachi said, pointing to an A-rank listing on the mission board.
The mission desk attendant handed him the scroll.
Typically, escorting merchants was considered a B-rank assignment, but this one had been upgraded to A-rank due to increased risk. The route passed through the Land of Tang—a known haven for rebel shinobi activity.
The Land of Tang's official ninja village, Takigakure (Hidden Waterfall), was pacifistic and rich in resources, priding itself on neutrality. As a result, they did nothing to subdue the rogue ninja encroaching on their borders.
These renegades routinely raided caravans, and the Hidden Waterfall Village refused to interfere. As such, merchants traveling the region often hired stronger shinobi from other villages.
After accepting the task, Sasuke and his team met the client—a short, rotund man in fine black robes.
"Two Uchiha in the same escort team? Looks like my luck's turning around!" the merchant beamed as he eagerly shook Itachi's hand.
Sasuke observed the man silently, noting that this client was far more savvy than Gato from the Land of Waves—shrewd and perceptive rather than arrogant and foolish.
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