"Zanpakutō."
That was a term Sakumo Hatake—White Fang, the swordsman—had never heard before.
He glanced at his own blade, White Fang, then looked over at Yukika's Sword of Raijin.
To him, they didn't seem all that different.
The lightning radiating from the Sword of Raijin was nothing new—it was its norm.
It was said that the stronger the user, the more terrifying the power it could unleash.
"Just watch," Yukika said calmly, holding the Sword of Raijin steady and pointing it forward.
BZZZZZT!
Thunder cracked loudly.
A piercing screech of lightning erupted so violently that it made Sakumo feel disoriented, almost dizzy.
Then, to his astonishment, lightning surged violently from the blade, extending forward like a spear of divine fury!
BOOM!
A thunderous blast shook the ground, and a golden bolt of lightning split the sky—striking exactly where Yukika had aimed.
Outside, members of the Senju clan were thrown into panic. They thought someone had ambushed the camp.
But they were quickly calmed down by Nawaki in the distance.
"Relax, my second brother is just training. Don't disturb him!"
As expected of the clan leader!
With admiration on their faces, the Senju members respectfully backed away.
Inside the tent, Yukika stood calmly, looking at Sakumo Hatake.
"This was just a basic technique—nowhere near the true release of a Zanpakutō."
"Your White Fang hasn't been released yet either, but it's already undergone a full enhancement."
"Even the most basic-level Zanpakutō can damage the soul."
"In other words—if you strike someone now, it's not just the body that suffers."
Not just the body…
Sakumo swallowed hard.
He realized he was touching on a completely new realm.
As a swordsman, a shinobi who lived by the blade, this kind of revelation hit him hard.
But Yukika understood—Sakumo wasn't going to reach full release anytime soon.
The power he had now came from Yukika. Unless Yukika himself reached the Resurrección stage—at least a partial one—Sakumo's progress would always lag behind.
This was the unspoken contract between king and soldier.
"As for your body," Yukika added, "You can consider it an evolution. If you want to continue exploring…"
"Just be patient."
He gave Sakumo a pat on the shoulder and left the tent with a carefree air.
Watching Yukika's back as he walked away, Sakumo's face reflected a mix of anticipation and fear—but finally, it settled into calm.
He'd already been through death and resurrection. At this point, there wasn't much he couldn't accept.
A deeper understanding of the blade, huh?
He ran a hand over the hilt of White Fang, returning to a peaceful state of mind.
He understood what Yukika wanted from him.
Placing a hand over his chest and feeling the steady beating of his heart, he smiled.
"Loyalty, is it? You'll see it soon enough."
And just as Yukika had predicted…
As whispers spread throughout the Konoha military camp, Danzo could no longer sit still.
A string of defeats had completely cost him the public's trust. Even the shinobi of Konoha had started to doubt him.
In contrast, the voices supporting Yukika to become Supreme Commander were growing louder by the day.
Danzo knew—he had to act. If he didn't, everything would spiral out of control sooner or later.
Just like Yukika said: he couldn't silence everyone who voiced dissent. But he could eliminate the loudest one.
"Bring me Sakamoto Ryo."
Inside the command tent, Danzo sat in silence for a moment, then made up his mind.
The atmosphere in camp was shifting. He had to make an example out of someone.
Kill the chicken to scare the monkey.
"Commander Danzo."
Not long after, Sakamoto Ryo nervously entered the room…