Naruto was a bit unaccustomed to his new identity as a "genius." He also found it strange to be under the gaze of so many "friendly" and "warm" eyes. It was a treatment that was completely different from what he had experienced in Konoha. The huge psychological gap inevitably made him anxious and uncertain, worrying whether he really had talent. He feared that once the "truth was revealed," he would continue to be laughed at by his classmates and looked down upon by his teachers.

But after starting school, Naruto first learned a Chinese idiom: "杞人忧天" (Qǐ rén yōu tiān). He truly was a genius. The four main courses at the Central Spirit Arts Academy were "Zhan Quan Zou Gui." "Zhan" referred to swordsmanship, the profession of the Soul Reapers who fight with their zanpakutō, where the sword is half of life. "Quan" referred to unarmed combat, which aligned perfectly with Naruto's understanding of physical techniques. "Zou" was a movement technique called "Shunpo," which allowed for rapid movement.

In these three areas, Naruto stood out, especially in "Shunpo." While other students struggled to grasp the basics, Naruto had already mastered it; this movement technique felt as if it were engraved in his body, activated with just a touch. His talent in swordsmanship and unarmed combat was not as apparent, and there were others more gifted in those areas. However, Naruto was hardworking enough. Moreover, he had an astonishingly fast healing speed since childhood, a capability he brought with him to the Soul Society.

While others could only manage seven or eight hours of training a day at most, Naruto could train for fourteen or sixteen hours! He wanted to quickly fulfill what Principal Bogan said about "talent." He wanted to become a captain as soon as possible. He wanted to find his parents quickly and have a home.

Among the four courses, he only performed average, or even poorly, in the "Hollow" section. "Hollow" referred to "Kido," a technique that calls upon spiritual power through incantation, transforming it into various forms, somewhat similar to Konoha's "ninjutsu." When his classmates had all learned "Number One: Breaking Way" and "Binding Way," and began studying higher-numbered Kido, Naruto’s "Number One: Breaking Way, Charge" was still exceedingly laughable; even the air from a fart would be stronger than it.

This troubled Naruto. It wasn't that he lacked talent or was slower to learn than others. It was just... he couldn't perform it. It was the same when he was "alive," just without understanding it at the time. It was the same "after death," but after studying the course on "spiritual power," Naruto could clearly feel that the reason he couldn't use Kido was that there was a strange force within him interfering. He didn't know how to explain this to his teacher and was even more afraid of his "worrying about the heavens."

However, not all schools are "ninja schools," and not all teachers are "ninja school teachers." The people of the Soul Society are completely different from those of Konoha. The Soul Reaper in charge of Kido did not scold Naruto; instead, he patiently and gently advised him. Upon learning about Naruto's situation, the teacher did not think it was a lack of talent but attributed this strange force to Naruto’s spiritual power being excessively large, which he had not yet been able to fully control, leading to a misperception of interference from this strange force.

This was a type of "genius syndrome," and with more practice in spiritual energy control, it would be fine. Under the teacher's comfort and his classmates' encouragement, Naruto gradually regained his confidence and found the state he had when studying "Seduction Techniques"—he wasn't completely unable to use ninjutsu; the "Seduction Technique" he had put significant effort into was quite outstanding. His progress in Kido, while slow, was visibly improving.

Academically, he was doing well. Life was also going smoothly. His classmates all liked Naruto and took good care of him. This had more to do with age than talent. Naruto was the youngest in the class, having been twelve years old in life, and only three years old after death.

Two months later, the new students stabilized, and those who should drop out had done so, leading up to the day for the sword distribution for this year. In the classroom, the teacher announced loudly, "The time has finally come. Today is the day you will receive your zanpakutō. From today onward, you will be referred to as apprentice Soul Reapers until you graduate."

As he spoke, he knocked on the desk. "It's also time to talk to you about the graduation rules of the Central Spirit Arts Academy. There are two ways to graduate. One is to complete six years of study; even in our class, which is the best this year, this method is the only option for the vast majority of you. The other way is to learn your Shikai, which allows for early graduation. Such geniuses are rare. It’s even rarer to see someone graduate after learning their Shikai in their first year. But... perhaps this year, we will have one among us."

Almost the moment the teacher finished speaking, everyone's gaze turned in unison to one person: a small blonde sitting in the front row. "Teacher, I..." Naruto scratched his head and smiled sheepishly. The teacher ruffled his hair: "I have high hopes for you to become the youngest captain!" With his other hand, he grabbed a zanpakutō and placed it in front of Naruto. "The zanpakutō being distributed to you doesn’t have a name yet, or rather, it currently only has a standard name, called 'Asauchi.'"

"Remember one thing. Asauchi is not a gift to you; it is temporarily leased from the Central Spirit Arts Academy. It won't be officially granted to you until you graduate and enter the Thirteenth Division or other institutions."

"Now, remember this well! During the lease period, you are not allowed to give Asauchi to others. You must not lose it. If any of these situations occur, or if Asauchi is damaged or broken, you must report it to the Spirit Arts Academy immediately. Otherwise... you will face severe penalties." The teacher's expression and tone were exceptionally serious. The students nodded solemnly in response.

It was only when the last person received their Asauchi that the teacher's expression softened a bit: "Now, let’s try using the Blade Zen as previously taught in class. Use your spiritual power to feel the call of your sword."

Blade Zen is a form of practice for Soul Reapers. In meditation, one resonates with their zanpakutō using spiritual power to communicate with it. Being able to communicate with the sword is the first step to liberation. Only by knowing its name can one wield its power.

Naruto closed his eyes and placed the sword on his knees. As soon as his spiritual power made contact with the sword, his consciousness was suddenly pulled forcefully, as if a deep pit had opened beneath him, and he was falling into weightlessness. When he came to, he found himself in a damp, dark underground waterway.

Naruto looked around, his expression bewildered. Where was this? Another world? But he quickly dismissed that thought. He could feel a familiar force here, the one that had interfered with him when he tried to use Kido. This was likely the "inner world" the teacher had mentioned.

However... Generally speaking, mastering Shikai only requires hearing the sword's voice. Delving into the inner world is something only Soul Reapers who have mastered Shikai and further studied "Bankai" can accomplish. Was his talent so strong?

And where was the soul of the zanpakutō? Naruto stood up and walked down the path. He soon reached the end. A towering, massive red barred gate blocked his way, behind which lay darkness, seemingly housing something. Heavy breathing, unabashed malice, and a fleeting glimpse of red as if it were a flame that devoured everything.

"Hey, kid." Behind the door, a huge creature stirred and called out. Naruto responded, "I'm here." "Come a little closer," it beckoned again. Naruto moved closer. A rush of wind blew fiercely. A massive claw lunged mercilessly, crashing against the door with a loud bang, the long claws piercing through the gap, stopping just before Naruto's throat, nearly impaling him.

"You've got some nerve, kid. Not even dodging." Naruto grinned and showed a bright smile: "Why should I dodge? You won't hurt me." "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. What's your name? Can you tell me?"