Chapter 19 – Half-Price Bargain

Truth be told, the power scaling of Shinigami (Soul Reapers) isn't exactly low—in fact, compared to the pre-Ōtsutsuki era of the Naruto world, it borders on dimensional suppression.

And at the core of that power lies the Zanpakutō's release.

The release of a Zanpakutō doesn't just grant Soul Reapers a massive power boost—it comes with unique abilities that are every bit as overpowered and distinctive as the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Whether it's Kyōka Suigetsu, which manipulates the five senses, Ryūjin Jakka, which incinerates all it touches, or Hyorinmaru, which controls the cold of ice and snow—the power of these Zanpakutō is indisputable.

Yet right now, Yoru has no access to any of those abilities.

Why?

Because he doesn't have enough points!

According to the rules of the system, Yoru can only activate a Zanpakutō by using the exchange system to name a Asauchi (Unawakened Zanpakutō).

Only by bestowing it with a name can Yoru unlock its release.

Currently, he does own an Asauchi—but the system prices one at 100,000 points, and even the cheapest Shikai-level Zanpakutō release costs tens of thousands more. Worse yet, Zanpakutō are bound once named—you can't rename them or reuse the Asauchi for something else.

In other words, if Yoru were to name the free Asauchi the system gave him, he'd have to buy another Asauchi just to get a different Zanpakutō in the future.

And that's 100,000 points a pop!

How's anyone supposed to afford that?!

With 100,000 points, he could do 100 loot box pulls!

One hundred loot boxes! He might even roll Ryūjin Jakka with that! (Yoru's hopeless optimism.)

The cheap Zanpakutō are trash, and Yoru refuses to lower his standards. But the powerful ones are all way too expensive. On top of that, any points he gets, he spends on loot boxes.

As a result, Yoru still doesn't have a Zanpakutō to call his own.

That said, with a hefty 160,000 points on hand, he could finally afford something decent.

"But... which one should I pick?"

The exchange list is massive. Some go for tens of thousands, others for well over a million. The sheer variety leaves Yoru dizzy.

Suddenly, one entry catches his eye.

"System, why is Sode no Shirayuki standing out so much?"

Sode no Shirayuki—an ice-type Zanpakutō. Due to its visually stunning Shikai form, it's often hailed as the most beautiful Zanpakutō in the Soul Society. Its ability is to lower the wielder's body temperature below freezing and freeze anything it touches.

While it's decently well-known among Soul Reapers, it's not considered top-tier overall.

Yet in this moment, it practically jumps off the list—as if the font were bolded.

[Detected: High Affinity with Ice Attributes. Host qualifies for 50% discount on first purchase of an ice-type Zanpakutō.]

"???"

A half-price discount?!

Wait a minute—you're running an event and you didn't advertise it?! No notification? No big banner?!

So if I didn't ask, you weren't going to say anything, huh?!

"Hold up. High ice affinity… System, be honest. Is you the reason I still haven't awakened Ice Release (Hyōton)?!"

[Host may select a different Zanpakutō and forfeit this offer.]

"…Oh, you shady bastard."

Yoru cursed under his breath. But there's no way he's turning this down.

Half-price, man!

Sode no Shirayuki normally costs 100,000 points. At half-off, it's only 50,000. Not taking that deal would be downright stupid!

"Wait… if it applies to all ice-type Zanpakutō, then that means—"

Yoru's eyes suddenly lit up as he quickly zeroed in on his true target.

[Zanpakutō: Hyōrinmaru (Shikai)]

Item Rank: SS

Description: Bestows the name Hyōrinmaru upon an unawakened Asauchi.

Cost: 500,000 points

He focused his intent—and the system prompt chimed immediately.

[Exchanging for "Zanpakutō: Hyōrinmaru (Shikai)" requires 250,000 points. Proceed with exchange?]

[Insufficient points. Exchange failed.]

It really is half-price! Holy—!!

Yoru's eyes went wide, but unfortunately, he didn't have enough points to complete the exchange.

"Should I just buy Sode no Shirayuki for now?"

The thought flashed across his mind, but he dismissed it right away.

Forget the difference in combat power between Sode no Shirayuki and Hyōrinmaru—the logic of the discount alone made the choice obvious.

If he buys Hyōrinmaru, he saves 250,000 points.

If he buys Sode no Shirayuki, he only saves 50,000—and locks himself out of future discounts. That's not a win; that's a loss of 400,000!

Now that the discount was on the table, he had to maximize it.

"I'll wait it out, save up, and exchange for Hyōrinmaru when I can—wait, what's this chakra surge?!"

Whoosh!

Before the words even left his mouth, a hulking figure suddenly appeared behind him with a burst of wind.

"What the—?!"

Yoru's instincts screamed as he tried to flash-step away—but his shadow had already been locked down, leaving him completely immobilized.

An instant later, he was launched like a cannonball, struck squarely by a vicious elbow.

BOOM!

It was Jiraiya!

That unmistakable white mane left no doubt. Having locked onto Yoru's chakra signature, Jiraiya had gone all out from the get-go—no mercy whatsoever.

Yoru's body smashed through a wall, shattering it into dust.

From the rubble came a low hum.

Countless kikaichū (destruction bugs) erupted outward like a swarm, converging into a black vortex over the ruins.

"Secret Technique: Insect Tornado!"

The dense wave of bugs swirled like a tornado, devouring the space where Yoru had crashed. Blood sprayed, flesh shredded—

Within a few seconds, the entire zone had been consumed by the swarm—not a single trace left.

"Jiraiya?!"

From the upper floor of the nearby building, the three Seven Ninja Swordsmen rushed out. The moment they saw Jiraiya—and the Konoha shinobi—they paled.

Before they could even prepare for combat, the air split again as shadowy figures flung objects in their direction.

"Kunai?!"

Each of them drew their respective blades. Jinpachi Munashi leapt to dodge—but something odd happened.

Trailing each thrown kunai were additional kunai, launched later but catching up from behind. They collided midair and deflected the original kunai's trajectory, sending it curving right back toward him.

Now midair with nowhere to dodge, Jinpachi's eyes widened in disbelief.

"What kind of jutsu is this?!"

"Lightning Release: Lightning Fang!"

Crackling lightning burst forth, intercepting the kunai barrage. It was Kurotsuchi Raiga, wielding Kiba, the twin swords of lightning. His expression was grim as he looked toward the rooftop—

Where a shinobi stood in a Konoha jōnin flak vest, arms folded, and eyes glowing crimson with the Sharingan.

"Uchiha..."

—

In the distance—

Jiraiya used Wind Style to blow away the lingering smoke, confirming that the kikaichū had fully devoured Mizunotsuki Yoru. He then turned to observe the scene above.

Behind him stood Shibi Aburame, Inoichi Yamanaka, Hiashi Hyūga, and Nara Suzaku—each one fully alert and ready for battle.

Seeing this lineup, the Three Ninja Blade's hearts instantly sank to rock bottom.