Kenma walked to the Senkaimon, his Zanpakuto already drawn and held at his side.
He softly chanted the release command for his Zanpakuto.
"Sever, Kiritsugu!"
The blade lit up with a crystal-clear light, a grim chill flowing from it.
The world before him suddenly changed. When he opened his eyes again, Kenma found himself on a lake, with a giant compass in the center.
He himself was located at the very center of the compass.
Before him, several points of light glowed.
On one of them was a large Chinese character: "Fire" (火).
Next to "Fire," there was another point of light with the character "Sea" (海) on it.
Kenma surveyed the familiar surroundings, his expression still calm.
He had expected this.
'The world of my Zanpakuto...'
"That's right."
A strange voice suddenly sounded from behind him.
Kenma turned to see a man in black armor standing there.
The man had a red scarf around his neck, dark brown skin, short white hair, and an indifferent face devoid of any expression.
"Kenma, it seems you're about to cross worlds again..."
The man's voice was deep, with an icy quality to it.
Kenma nodded. "Long time no see, Kiritsugu."
This man was the materialized form of Kenma's Zanpakuto.
—Kiritsugu!
"Just as you said, I'm going to open a spatial passage between two worlds."
"..."
Kiritsugu was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.
"Although I am against you going to other worlds... since it's your decision, I cannot dissuade you, so I won't stand in your way."
"All I can do now is offer you my sincere blessings."
"May you have good fortune in battle."
Kenma smiled, then turned to face the point of light with the character for "Sea."
He raised the Zanpakuto in his hand and struck at the character.
The position of "Sea" was the coordinate of that world of oceans.
In reality, the Zanpakuto in Kenma's hand also swung down into the void within the Senkaimon.
A silvery-white, crescent-shaped blade of light swung out, striking the space and instantly tearing open a dark rift.
Crack!
Crackle!
A series of sounds like shattering glass followed.
The top and bottom edges of the spatial rift were jagged, like the gaping mouth of an indescribable beast, revealing sharp teeth within.
And this beast was constantly widening its mouth.
The spatial rift grew larger and larger, eventually filling the entire Senkaimon.
At this moment, the gate was completely dark. Looking inside, one could see a faint point of light in the deepest part, the end of the Senkaimon.
By entering the gate and walking to the end, one could reach that other world full of seas.
Having opened the spatial passage between the two worlds with a single slash, Kenma nodded to himself, his expression relaxing.
If he had to truly break the spatial barrier between two worlds, with his current third-rank spiritual power, it would take him nearly a full day.
But the success of this single strike was because he had already cleared the path long ago. Now, he was merely cutting through the surface space, so it naturally didn't require much power.
"Your power is truly awe-inspiring, my lord. To witness it with my own eyes is the fortune of three lifetimes."
Seeing Kenma finish and sheathe his sword, Shisui couldn't help but exclaim with heartfelt admiration.
"It is truly a god-like ability!"
"As expected of the lord we have pledged our loyalty to. His strength is unmatched."
"Powerful, so powerful."
The Uchiha at the side also chimed in with sincere agreement.
Even though they had seen it before, witnessing Kenma's ability again with their own eyes, the Uchiha still felt a shock that resonated in their souls.
No matter the world, abilities related to space were always difficult to contend with, the vast gap in power enough to make one despair.
And this was only a part of their master's abilities.
As the Uchiha's voices of surprise and flattery died down, Kenma remained expressionless, though he did not stop them.
At this moment, Fugaku arrived in the courtyard with the selected elite.
"My lord, the elite of the Uchiha have assembled. Please inspect them."
Fugaku led his men before Kenma and knelt on one knee, the Uchiha behind him doing the same.
Kenma looked over. There were about a dozen men, all uniformly dressed in the Uchiha's characteristic high-collared attire, with the Uchiha's fan crest on their collars and backs.
Yashiro, Tekka, and the others were also in the group.
These men all possessed decent spiritual pressure. Their expressions were cold and filled with a murderous aura, clearly having been informed of the purpose of this trip.
This bloodthirsty demeanor fit Kenma's ingrained impression of the Uchiha clan perfectly.
'This is the stuff.'
"Not bad."
Kenma looked at Fugaku and noticed that he too had a Zanpakuto at his waist, his face full of killing intent.
"Fugaku, you're going too? What about the clan?"
"My lord, your safety is of the utmost importance."
Fugaku's expression was incredibly solemn.
"Within the clan, only Shisui and I are the strongest. It is only natural that we accompany you."
"The Uchiha clan has now successfully established a foothold in the Soul Society. The clan's affairs are being handled by the elders, so my temporary absence will not cause any delays."
There was one more thing Fugaku didn't say.
Because of what Itachi had done, he was not well-liked within the Uchiha clan.
When they first arrived in the Soul Society, the clan was facing a matter of life and death, so there was no time to deal with it.
Now that they had adapted to life in the Soul Society, the clansmen's dissatisfaction was brewing. Fugaku's governance was only maintained by his past authority.
Coupled with Kenma's orders, the clansmen had no choice but to obey.
To be fair, the clansmen's feelings were only of dissatisfaction.
Although they were dead now, it wasn't much different from when they were alive.
In fact, without the ostracism and suppression from Konoha, the clansmen were living more comfortably than before.
But Fugaku couldn't get over the hurdle in his own heart.
In the end, it was Itachi's fault, and as Itachi's father, he naturally bore a great sin.
This was a good opportunity to go outside, see the world, and calm his mind. Perhaps he would have other realizations.
Hearing Fugaku's words, Kenma nodded, turned, and walked towards the darkness within the Senkaimon.
"Alright, follow me."
As his voice fell, the Uchiha rose. Led by Shisui and Fugaku, they all followed behind Kenma.
Walking along the dark path, the light ahead grew brighter in their eyes.
When they reached the end, the same sliding wooden door that had brought them from the ninja world to the Soul Society appeared before them.
An unknown light source illuminated the area around the wooden door, making it as bright as day.
Whoosh!
The wooden door was pulled open. Kenma stepped out, and the Uchiha followed in a single file.
Their feet landed on soft sand. Before them was a junkyard filled with abandoned warships and scrap metal.
Further ahead was a boundless, azure sea.
The sun was high in the sky, which was clear for thousands of miles.
A gentle breeze blew, and the sunlight shone down, making the sea glitter.
The salty, humid smell of the sea washed over them, invigorating everyone.
"The sea..."
"This is... another world!"
"The incredibly wondrous world my lord spoke of."
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]