Super-Speed Regeneration (Updates 3)
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"Bai Ye's body temperature has returned to normal. He should wake up soon."
The hospital director extended a hand to feel Bai Ye's forehead, estimating that the transformation had likely concluded.
Although he no longer needed to personally watch over the boy, the director remained in the room out of scientific curiosity. He had never encountered such a transformation before and wanted to observe any further physiological changes.
Just as predicted, Bai Ye soon stirred, his eyelids fluttering open with a dazed expression.
"Mmm…"
Yue, who had woken earlier, had been sitting anxiously by the bedside, unwilling to rest until she saw him open his eyes.
The moment he did, she lunged forward and burst into tears of joy.
"Yue...? Why are you crying? And… why am I in a hospital?"
Bai Ye felt a weight on his chest. As he shifted slightly, he realized he had no memory of returning to Konoha Hospital. Confused, he turned his head.
"Sensei Hizashi… what happened?"
Yuyan wasn't present. Seeing Yue too overwhelmed to speak, Bai Ye turned to Hyūga Hizashi, who stood quietly by the window.
After Hizashi gave a thorough explanation, Bai Ye understood the situation.
Apparently, during his coma, his consciousness had entered a strange realm—an inner world. When he awoke, he had left it.
Drawing from both Naruto and Bleach, Bai Ye theorized that this inner world was similar to the mental plane Naruto often shared with Kurama. However, there was one unsettling difference.
His Zanpakutō—which should have been sealed within his soul—had manifested physically in the hospital and also appeared in the inner world, taking the vague form of a little girl, her features blurred.
As for the appearance of the Divine Spear, Bai Ye rationalized it similarly to how Naruto accessed Kurama's chakra. He could draw upon its power as if it were a partner entity.
"Can I extract some of your cells for research? I'll inform you of any post-transformation changes."
The hospital director's request was calm and professional, not obsessive like Orochimaru's would be. Bai Ye hesitated briefly but agreed.
What he didn't know was that Orochimaru had already secretly collected samples of his cells during his coma. No doubt, the Snake Sannin intended to experiment with them.
With his samples secured, the director departed with a gleam of excitement in his eyes, clearly intrigued by Bai Ye's biology.
"Since you're stable now, I'll report the mission to the Third Hokage. Yue and Yuyan can watch over you."
With those words, Hizashi vanished.
Bai Ye blinked in confusion—Yuyan? He hadn't seen her anywhere.
"I feel fine. No need to stay in this bed."
Sitting up, Bai Ye took stock of his body. He felt stronger than he had that morning during their mission. There was no way he would spend another hour recovering unnecessarily.
"Alright."
Yue nodded, but still clung to him tightly. Bai Ye gave a helpless laugh.
"I need to change clothes. Why are you still hanging on?"
Her cheeks reddened, but she didn't overreact. After more than a month of close contact, she had grown used to him—at least outwardly.
"I'll wait outside."
She ran out with a light smile, momentarily forgetting Yuyan was still asleep in the next bed.
"This girl…"
Bai Ye shook his head with a smile. No matter how powerful Yue was, she was still just a child.
To him, Yue had always been like a little sister. Even after being reincarnated, he still retained the memories of someone over 20 years old. Yue and Yuyan were only six. In his past life, they'd barely be in kindergarten.
That perspective hadn't changed. Despite frequent physical contact during their time together, he never interpreted it romantically—completely unaware that in the Naruto world, children often matured emotionally faster, especially those trained as shinobi.
This era demanded it. The battlefield didn't wait for childhood to end.
After dressing, Bai Ye reached for his Zanpakutō. The moment his fingers touched the hilt, information poured into his mind.
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Zanpakutō Evolution Complete:
Divine Spear — (0/3000 EXP)
Hadō XI: Thunderbolt — (0/3000 EXP)
Bakudō VIII: Rebuke — (0/3000 EXP)
Hakuda: Stage III — (0/3000 EXP)
Shunpo: Stage III — (0/3000 EXP)
Super-Speed Regeneration — Passive (No EXP required)
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Skill Descriptions:
Hadō XI: Thunderbolt — Unleashes lightning through a medium.
Bakudō VIII: Rebuke — Generates a defensive shield across the forearm.
Super-Speed Regeneration — Rapidly heals physical injuries in real-time.
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Bai Ye had suspected his coma was due to the evolution of his Zanpakutō, but the results caught him off guard.
The updates to Hadō, Bakudō, Hakuda, and Shunpo were expected. What surprised him was the lack of a new Zanpakutō release and the sudden appearance of Super-Speed Regeneration, a Hollow-exclusive trait in Bleach.
Why would his Zanpakutō, a Shinigami power, evolve into something from the Hollow domain?
Looking at his skill set—especially "Rebuke" and Super-Speed Regeneration—Bai Ye sighed. He was becoming more of a tank than he'd ever intended.
On the surface, he pretended to dislike it. In truth, he appreciated the survivability boost. Any frontline shinobi would.
The Bakudō technique Rebuke was especially promising. It was a non-elemental defense technique—something other shinobi might be able to learn, given its chakra-based nature.
Though he was lost in thought, Bai Ye didn't waste time. He sheathed his Zanpakutō, signed his discharge papers, and walked out with Yue.
"Let's go to the tailor's."
After wearing his Shinigami uniform once, Bai Ye felt that his usual attire no longer fit—not in size or in style. He needed something custom.
"Didn't you just outgrow your clothes? Why get something new again?"
Yue was genuinely confused. Though they hadn't interacted much during their years at the Academy, she distinctly remembered his loud yellow tights.
"Come on. Why are you starting to nag like Yuyan?"
Bai Ye gave her a light push toward the tailor shop. He didn't want to explain further. If he mentioned that he simply "felt different," Yue might assume he was delusional and drag him back to the hospital.
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"Achoo!"
Meanwhile, Yuyan awoke in the now-empty hospital ward.
She blinked.
"…What the hell?"
She looked around—no Bai Ye, no Yue, not even a nurse.
"Those bastards! They left me behind! They're dead next time I see them!"
Furious, Yuyan leapt out of bed, ready to storm out of the hospital and make someone pay.