Naruto: Just Want To Be A Death God

The activity level of Hollows increased.

But under the surveillance of the 12th Division, it was merely a fleeting spike on a barely noticeable curve.

Like the "tides"—there are ebbs and flows.

It just so happened to occur at this time.

Naruto, still uneasy, went to check it out.

According to Mayuri Kurotsuchi's explanation, it indeed wasn't abnormal. That key focus, the "special Shinigami power," had never appeared.

The Hollow activity didn't seem directly related to Aizen's experiments.

"Hollows may not be very smart, but they do have brains." Mayuri's gaze was cold, his tone emotionless as he tilted his head, staring at the squad members in the monitoring hall. "Some Hollows have brains more useful than stupid Shinigami."

"If something unusual happened in Hueco Mundo…"

"They would escape as well."

"For instance, if a Menos Grande, or one even above that tier, died, opening up a new ecological niche…"

"Weaker Hollows would flee to avoid being devoured."

Mayuri was clearly implying something.

Naruto nodded, thoughtful.

Creatures above "Menos Grande"?

The textbooks in Soul Society mentioned Menos Grande, but they were aimed at ordinary Shinigami.

Basic, but incomplete.

In truth, "Menos Grande" were divided into three ranks.

The type Naruto had encountered before—the one detailed in the textbooks—was the lowest class, called Gillian, essentially cannon fodder.

Numerous in number and nearly identical in appearance.

The ones that ordinary Shinigami could recognize or encounter were typically this kind.

Above them were the Adjuchas, the mid-level Menos.

Compared to Gillians, these Hollows were smaller in size, had more humanoid features, and commanded many Gillians—just as a captain commands many squad members.

But—

Adjuchas were not the final stage of Menos.

It was said that there existed a class called Vasto Lorde, the highest level of Menos. Extremely rare, only a few had ever been recorded or documented.

However, both Adjuchas and Vasto Lorde only operated within Hueco Mundo. Regular human souls held no value for them.

Naruto had never encountered them either.

Was Aizen experimenting on these beings?

"Hueco Mundo can't be monitored?" Naruto asked after thinking for a moment.

Mayuri tapped a few commands on the console, pulling up several surveillance feeds and enlarging them on the screen.

All that could be seen was an expanse of yellow sand.

Occasionally, a few Hollows would dart by, leaving blurry trails on the screen.

"That's all we have," Mayuri said flatly, still operating the system and zooming in. "I checked the moment the spike occurred."

"Nothing was found."

Naruto frowned.

So… this is Hueco Mundo?

Even more barren and desolate than he imagined.

"Soul Society's surveillance of Hueco Mundo is minimal," Mayuri explained. "We've only deployed these monitoring devices there."

"Want to check the records from the last ten years?"

Naruto shook his head. "No need. We probably won't find anything useful."

Mayuri glanced at a squad member, gestured for him to follow, and led Naruto to another room.

A barrier unfolded, completely isolating the space.

"Thanks to the power of the Menos you sent me earlier," Mayuri said in a low tone, "I think I figured out what that guy is trying to do."

Naruto looked confused.

"Captain Uzumaki, have you heard of the Arrancar?" Mayuri asked.

Naruto shook his head.

"It's something only Hollows above the level of Gillian can do," Mayuri began explaining. "They attempt to remove the masks from their faces."

Naruto was taken aback. "Remove their masks?"

"Aren't those important to Hollows?"

Textbooks had mentioned that the mask was a symbol of hidden identity and corruption for Hollows.

In cases like Shinji Hirako and the others who were "Hollowified," the first Hollow trait that appeared was a mask.

From that, it was clear the "mask" was closely tied to Hollow power.

"Of course it's important," Mayuri nodded. "But do you know how an Adjuchas is born?"

Naruto shook his head again.

Mayuri clapped his hands. "A regular Gillian is a chaotic being formed from hundreds of powerful Hollows merging together."

"But when one of those consciousnesses is strong enough to dominate and devour the rest—when it can integrate all those messy powers—then the Gillian evolves into an Adjuchas."

Naruto realized, "So an Adjuchas is essentially a new individual?"

"Exactly. And since it becomes a new being, the past of any one of those consumed souls no longer matters," Mayuri continued in a monotone. "That's why they try to break their masks and find a new meaning for existence."

Then he paused and dragged his tone.

"But—"

"That was the conclusion reached by idiots of the past."

"Finding meaning in survival—how laughable."

"I'd love to crack open their skulls and see what kind of filth is inside."

Mayuri grinned. "I dug up over a thousand years of records and even hacked some confidential files from hundreds of years ago to confirm one thing."

"Arrancar is actually a method of evolution attempted by Hollows."

"In that process, the power they obtain…"

"Is the power of a Shinigami."

"All those records show that every Arrancar had spiritual wave signatures identical to that 'mutant Shinigami power' you detected in the Menos you sent me earlier."

Naruto frowned, summarizing briefly, "So Arrancars are Hollows trying to self-evolve into Shinigami?"

Mayuri chuckled, nodding.

"But…" Naruto continued, "No one discovered this all this time?"

"Until you—"

Mayuri cut him off. "Captain Uzumaki, I'm different!"

"I'm a genius."

"Not like those useless fools, morons, and idiots…"

"Of course, maybe it's also because Arrancar evolution is incredibly slow, and not a single complete Arrancar has appeared yet."

"But trash is still trash."

Naruto frowned deeper. "No complete Arrancar…"

"And Aizen is trying to create them?"

"Is he trying to… rule Hueco Mundo?"

He voiced the speculation half in doubt.

Mayuri whistled, tone full of admiration. "What a grand idea."

"A Shinigami ruling Hueco Mundo."

Naruto gave him a sharp look.

"I'm just admiring the concept as a scientist, nothing more," Mayuri said with a chuckle and a shrug. "Don't you find it fascinating?"

"Hollow becoming Shinigami."

"Shinigami becoming Hollow."

"Two opposing forces intertwining, promoting superior evolution."

Naruto gave him a cold glare.

"Don't give me that look," Mayuri said, stopping himself wisely. "I'd never ally myself with someone like him."

"I don't have the luxury of standing against Soul Society."

"I'd die."

He stuck out his tongue and made a mischievous face.

Naruto sneered.

Mayuri was about to say more when a sharp, urgent buzzing erupted from his chest.

He reached into his robes and pulled out a faceless, human-faced grub that began to scream.

"Your taste is strange," Naruto frowned.

Mayuri chuckled. "It's fun."

"What a beautiful shape. Captain Uzumaki, if you can't feel the joy in that, how much happiness must you be missing out on in life?"

He lifted the grub and wiggled its tail. Its cries became even more frantic. "A terrible update."

"That 'Hollow-Shinigami power' has appeared again."

Naruto's expression darkened.

"In the Human World," Mayuri flipped the grub over to reveal coordinates. "Let's see… a very remote area."

Naruto said softly, "I'll go now."

"Thank you, Captain Uzumaki." Mayuri didn't even wait for Naruto to finish before blurting out his thanks.

In the Human World — a remote mountain area.

Only three members of the 13th Division's advance recon team were still standing.

A female Shinigami stared in disbelief at her sword. Like Vice Captain Byakuya Kuchiki's Senbonzakura, the blade was disintegrating into scattered petals.

But—

This wasn't her sword's ability.

Before them stood a bizarre Hollow.

Its body resembled a frog, but its head looked like an inverted squid, with dozens of wriggling tentacles.

"Heehee." It grinned, voice sharp and shrill. "Didn't expect that, did you?"

"This is an ability I can only use once each night."

"The first person who touches my arm at night—his Zanpakutō disappears."

"Just like yours."

"From the moment I was born, I had this power, so different from other Hollows."

"Until now, I never had the chance to use it on a real Shinigami."

"Now that I have—it's amazing!"

"So…"

"I was born to hunt Shinigami!"

With victory in sight, its pride swelled. And more than devouring them, it relished stirring fear and despair from their bodies—so much more delicious.

The female Shinigami gritted her teeth and raised her hand.

"Hadō #12, Fushibi (Ambush Flare)!"

She discarded the chant.

A glowing orange binding spell shot toward the Hollow.

But it dodged with ease.

"See? Without your Zanpakutō, even the strongest Shinigami is nothing," it sneered. "Tonight's dinner starts with you!"

Its six limbs sprang forward.

It lunged at her.

Despair clouded her heart, but she didn't fully give up. She tried to resist with kidō again—though it had little effect.

The Hollow cackled, about to bite her neck—

When a golden beam shot down from the sky.

It pierced the Hollow and pinned it to the ground effortlessly.

A crushing spiritual pressure, like a landslide, overwhelmed the air.

It curled up on the ground, unable to move.

"Just because you have some special ability…" a cold voice came from above. A white haori stepped through the sky, descending slowly. Every word tightened the oppressive weight of the spiritual pressure. "…you dare claim to hunt Shinigami?"

Terror surged within the Hollow.

That presence alone felt enough to destroy it.

(End of Chapter)