Chapter 68: Shinigami

in the world of Naruto, a mysterious entity known as the Shinigami exists, possessing an unknown origin and formidable strength. Although there is a realm of the dead, it is not controlled by the Shinigami, but rather by the Sage of Six Paths. Summoning the Shinigami requires the use of the sealing technique called the Dead Demon Consuming Seal and a special Shinigami mask. Only the summoners have the ability to perceive the Shinigami, as it remains invisible to powerful beings like the Nine Tails and Kage-level individuals such as Orochimaru.

In terms of personality, the Shinigami undeniably possesses a divine essence. Even the most formidable ninja must be prepared to make a sacrifice when summoning the Shinigami. Orochimaru, despite his prowess, could only exploit the Shinigami's weaknesses to escape being a sacrifice.

Given the enigmatic nature of the Shinigami, few would dare to confront it directly. However, there was one who dared—Sato. Selfish and fearing death, Sato, who had always been cautious and risk-averse, set his eyes on devouring the Shinigami. His courage and confidence stemmed from his possession of the Nirvana Sharingan·Death Graft residing in his right eye.

After absorbing information about the left eye's Nirvana Sharingan·Resurrection of the Dead, Sato discovered that his Sharingan ability, the Nirvana Sharingan, was a unique art. The left eye's concept revolved around "existence." As long as the dead left a mark in the Nirvana space and did not die in place of the operator, they would not truly perish, regardless of encounters with sealing techniques or soul-involved moves.

The concept of the right eye was "death." If the caster suffered fatal damage, they could utilize a portion of the Sharingan's power to graft their own "death" onto the dead in the Nirvana space, allowing the dead's "existence" to replace the caster's demise. Both physical attacks and ninjutsu could be fatal, and even killing one's soul fell into the category of lethality.

Consequently, the only way to kill Sato was to continuously slay him until his Sharingan power was depleted. Otherwise, whether targeting his body or soul, Sato could not be completely eradicated and could only be sealed, similar to Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. His indifference toward soul death and his conviction to devour the Shinigami made risking his life worthwhile.

If he failed to consume it, there would be no loss. The Shinigami was bound by the rules of this world and could only claim a single life at most. If Sato succeeded in devouring the Shinigami, he stood to gain immense benefits. With this in mind, Sato took immediate action.

First, he retrieved the body of the Third Hokage and placed it beside two ninjas possessing cells of Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama. Sato took a deep breath, activated his Mangekyō Sharingan adorned with a black lotus pattern, and donned the Shinigami mask.

A flicker of light emanated as the Shinigami mask seemed to trigger something. A white spirit body, distinct from the blue one, emerged from the mask and transformed into a massive white figure behind Sato. This figure bore a ferocious appearance resembling a ghost, with a fearsome countenance, two rows of sharp teeth, and a short blade wrapped in white bandages clutched tightly. Clothed in an open-chested white kimono robe, it gazed down at Sato, seemingly attuned to the inner desires of the recipient.

In the next moment, the Shinigami removed the short blade from its mouth and forcefully thrust it into its own abdomen, creating a deep wound. Simultaneously, Sato's abdomen was also cut, causing bright red blood to spurt out. Four clusters of blue light emerged from the Shinigami's abdomen. Three of them descended onto the heads of the Third Hokage and the two ninjas, while the fourth vanished into the realm of the dead.

Having fulfilled Sato's "wish," the Shinigami wielded the short blade in one hand and seized Sato's back with the other, disregarding his physical form. The Shinigami's hand directly grasped Sato's soul and proceeded to pull it out. Just as Sato's soul was on the verge of being fully extracted by the Shinigami, his right eye's Mangekyō Sharingan emitted a dazzling scarlet light.

The Shinigami was momentarily stunned by the sudden turn of events. The soul held by the Shinigami vanished as if time had reversed to the moment before it grasped Sato's soul. Although going back in time wouldn't faze the Shinigami, the rules of the world reminded it that the contract with the summoner had been fulfilled, prohibiting the capture of the summoner's soul. Unconcerned about how the summoner escaped its grasp, the Shinigami prepared to leave, awaiting Sato's next summon.

However, in that moment, the escaped caster abruptly turned towards the Shinigami, extending a palm enveloped in black mist, and softly uttered, "Hand of Devouring!" Similar to the Rinnegan's Universal Pull, an intense gravitational force formed a small black hole in the palm, generating an astonishing suction force in an attempt to pull the Shinigami into it. The Shinigami, in its soul form, was indeed affected, its dissipated body distorting as a part of its feet flew into Sato's palm.

Finally, Sato witnessed fear flicker across the Shinigami's face. Yet, with the contract already fulfilled, the Shinigami could no longer harm Sato. As the Shinigami's feet were being sucked away, about to reach its abdomen, a surprising action unfolded before Sato's eyes.

With the short blade in hand, the Shinigami severed a portion of its twisted body, as though cutting its own abdomen. The remaining body transformed into white light and vanished. Simultaneously, the Shinigami mask on Sato's face shattered like shards of glass, falling to the ground.

Sato, displeased by the Shinigami's escape, clicked his tongue and complained while glancing at the "Hand of Devouring," "Can't you be more aggressive?"

Suddenly, Sato's expression changed, and he took a deep breath. The mysterious bead contained within the soul started emitting a blue energy halo, rapidly enhancing the strength of the soul. This surge resembled the energy of the three immortal bodies before, causing his body's cells to mutate rapidly. It became evident that Sato's soul was undergoing a transformation.

The change in his soul was attributed to absorbing a part of the Shinigami's spirit body. While he failed to completely devour the Shinigami, the mysterious bead refined an astounding soul power. Realizing this, Sato felt even more regretful. The terror of devouring a portion of the spirit body was immense. If he could consume an entire Shinigami, he wondered how much power he would gain. Would it reach the level of the Ōtsutsuki?

Suddenly, Sato glanced at the three groups of floating souls beside him, refocused his thoughts, and clapped his hands on the ground, exclaiming, "Reanimation Jutsu"!