"So this is the sword release of the lord's Zanpakuto!"
From a distance, Uchiha Shisui watched the glowing blade in Shihoin Kenma's hand, the dense, fine threads of light, and the contract his clansmen were signing.
He had personally experienced it not long ago, having already completed this pact with the Shinigami.
In the short time he had spent learning from Kenma, he had gained some understanding of a Shinigami's methods of attack.
The so-called Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Kido, and Hoho, were the arts of the sword, hand-to-hand combat, demon arts, and swift steps.
Among them, the primary means of attack for a Shinigami was their Zanpakuto!
The shape, state, and abilities of a Zanpakuto were constructed based on the Shinigami's own soul, and their abilities varied from person to person.
By knowing its true name, one could release its true power, divided into Shikai and Bankai. After release, a Shinigami's power could increase dramatically.
After seeing that Shisui had the potential to become a Shinigami, Kenma had the idea of cultivating him. The little he had taught him before was just to test the waters.
And Shisui's talent was indeed powerful. He learned Shunpo in a short period, which greatly boosted Kenma's confidence.
"When we return to the Soul Society, I will find an Asauchi for you as well."
An Asauchi was the most primitive form of a Zanpakuto, and also the mark of becoming a Shinigami!
Kenma's words caused ripples to spread through Shisui's heart, filling him with longing.
'Can a mortal like me... also become a Shinigami?'
The contract Kenma had just made with the Uchiha was one of the Shikai abilities of his Zanpakuto, Kiritsugu.
It could connect and establish communication between two things!
Through years of exploration, Kenma had gradually figured out some ways to use his Zanpakuto.
The most representative of these was connecting with others to form a fated community, bound by an iron-clad contract.
As the master of the Zanpakuto, Kenma naturally held the greatest degree of initiative in the relationship, allowing him to set various binding agreements.
He could even use the connecting threads to obtain a portion of the contractor's abilities and spiritual pressure. There was no limit to the number of contractors, only whether his own spiritual pressure was sufficient.
This part of the ability alone was similar to "Auswählen," but not as monstrously overpowered as Yhwach's "Auswählen."
As his spiritual pressure continued to grow stronger, the number of people he could connect with would increase.
At this moment, connecting with over a thousand Uchiha at once had consumed nearly half of Kenma's spiritual pressure, taking up half of his capacity.
The reason for this was for the sake of stability; this way, he could be more at ease when bringing these people back to the Soul Society.
If he felt they were a burden, Kenma could wait until these people could live normally in the Soul Society before terminating the contracts of the old, weak, women, and children.
"Next, I will open the Senkaimon. By passing through it, you will arrive in the Soul Society. You will all live there from now on."
Kenma said to the group of Uchiha:
"I have already told Shisui about some things to be aware of. He will tell you all one by one later. I hope you will all conduct yourselves well."
"We obey!"
Kenma walked through the crowd to one end of the street. Every time he passed an Uchiha, these members of the ninja world's most powerful clan would immediately drop to one knee and lower their proud heads to show respect for their new master.
Arriving at an open space at the end of the street, under the gazes of a thousand Uchiha, Kenma once again raised his Zanpakuto.
"Sever, Kiritsugu!"
The blade once again shone with a crystal-clear light, but this time the light did not turn into threads. Instead, it flowed along the blade's edge, exuding a grim chill under the bright moonlight.
Kenma swung the blade through the air. The spiritual pressure accumulated on the blade instantly erupted, transforming with his swing into a silvery-white, crescent-shaped blade of light that shot forward.
Crack!
Crack! Crackle!
A series of crisp sounds, like shattering glass, rang out.
Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, as the crescent blade of light passed, a huge rift was torn in the void. It was pitch-black inside, as if a giant beast was hiding its form while opening its cavernous mouth.
Kenma gave a silent snap of his fingers, and a somewhat quaint, sliding wooden door materialized within the spatial rift.
He waved his hand lightly.
Whoosh!
Under his control, his spiritual pressure gathered, forming a straight, wide path between the physical ground and the wooden door inside the rift.
One side of the wooden door was pulled open, revealing a vast, white light from within.
"This is the Senkaimon. Pass through this gate, and you will be in the Soul Society, the world where the dead live."
Kenma stood to one side of the spatial rift, his Zanpakuto extended into it, preventing space from repairing itself.
His gaze swept over the Uchiha before him. Every one of them had their eyes wide and mouths slightly agape, looking exceptionally shocked and stunned.
'He can... sever space itself with a casual wave!'
'This is... the power of a god!'
A tidal wave crashed in Fugaku's heart.
Even in this strange ninja world, tearing space was the stuff of legends, and space-time ninjutsu was a rare sight.
Now, seeing Kenma display it so effortlessly before them, they all came to their senses, their gazes toward Kenma becoming even more reverent.
Kenma's line of sight fell on Shisui. "Shisui, you go in first to reassure your clansmen. The courtyard you arrive in is a place I prepared beforehand. Remember, keep your people under control and don't let them wander around."
"As you command!"
Shisui swallowed, his face showing an irrepressible mix of excitement and apprehension.
Once they crossed this gate, they would go to an unfamiliar world and start a new life.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Shisui stepped onto the path formed by spiritual pressure, walking step by step towards the Senkaimon, and finally entered the white light of the wooden door.
Just a moment after entering the gate, Shisui's figure suddenly reappeared. He gave a firm nod to the Uchiha clansmen outside, then entered again.
Kenma commanded the Uchiha, "You all hurry and go as well!"
"As you command!"
Under the direction of Fugaku and the members of the Military Police Force, the Uchiha clansmen began their journey into the unknown in an orderly fashion.
"My dear, let me hold the child."
"Mother, I'll carry you on my back."
"Brother, sister, let's go quickly, don't waste time."
One by one, the Uchiha stepped onto the path of spiritual pressure and walked into the Senkaimon.
And as each person passed by Kenma's side, they would pause, bow to Kenma, and then quickly walk to catch up with their clansmen ahead.
Watching the Uchiha clansmen enter one after another, Kenma's expression remained unchanged as he mentally calculated how much longer his spiritual pressure could last.
In his current state, it was more than enough to send all of them in, with plenty of time to spare.
Glancing at the spatial rift, Kenma also felt a sense of感慨.
This was the other ability of his Zanpakuto after its Shikai release—Severance!
It could cut through all things in the world, tangible or intangible. As long as he could perceive it and had enough spiritual pressure, he could cut it.
Even something as ethereal as space!
Using this ability, Kenma could even cut an opening in the spatial barrier between two different worlds, allowing him to travel back and forth freely.
It had taken him nearly two full days to open the passage between the Soul Society and the ninja world.
Fortunately, once the passage was opened and fixed with the "Connection" ability, he wouldn't have to expend so much effort in the future. He could simply follow the coordinates left behind after the Shikai and cut through the ninja world's space with a casual swing, causing the entrance to the passage to appear.
Severance and Connection!
Just like the name of his Zanpakuto, Kiritsugu, depending on the release command, its Shikai abilities represented two polar opposites.