Before Shinji could leave, Ryuzetsu and Chino had already begun sparring.
Both having been injected with Blue Spider Lily No. 1, the two clashed fiercely in the forest, trading punches and kicks in a heated exchange!
Shinji, seeing this, didn't rush to depart.
With a leap, he landed on a tree branch, arms crossed, leaning against the trunk as he observed the duel.
Ryuzetsu, hailing from Hidden Grass Village, had received some training in taijutsu and ninjutsu. However, Hidden Grass's training system paled in comparison to the Five Great Villages, so her skills were, frankly, average.
Before receiving Blue Spider Lily No. 1, she was merely a Chunin with some potential, excelling in stealth.
As for Chino, the last of the Blood Pool Clan, she hadn't even undergone proper shinobi training.
At most, she had received some taijutsu instruction in Orochimaru's fighting arena, though it was far from systematic.
But after being injected with Blue Spider Lily No. 1, their physical strength had skyrocketed, resulting in a rough, brute-force taijutsu style that felt like "might makes right." When they fought, they seemed almost evenly matched!
After watching for a while, Shinji quietly departed.
Though Ryuzetsu and Chino still appeared inexperienced, their potential was beginning to shine through.
After all, both were Bloodline Limit shinobi.
Ryuzetsu's Dragon Life Reincarnation Technique was one of the rare secret arts in the shinobi world capable of truly reviving someone, while Chino was an even rarer dojutsu Bloodline Limit shinobi.
With these abilities alone, their potential ceiling was at least Jonin-level.
Now, with Shinji's Blue Spider Lily No. 1, barring any mishaps, their ceiling could reach the level of elite Jonin.
Back at his secret laboratory, Shinji sat at his desk, gently massaging his temples.
"First Chair…"
He murmured softly.
He was quite satisfied with the results of the ninja academy assessment. It wasn't about basking in the prestige of being "First Chair," but rather the necessity of holding a high position in the upcoming operations, allowing him to monitor the movements of the Five Great Villages.
Since returning from the Demon Slayer world, he knew a battle against the Hegemon of Terror was inevitable!
To confront a hegemon capable of devouring an entire world, even passive defense would likely require at least Six Paths-level power. Thus, Shinji had to elevate himself to that level as quickly as possible!
The Rinnegan plan was already complete!
Obtaining the Rinnegan was only a matter of time for Shinji, but the next step—ascending to Six Paths-level—was the real challenge.
The only method he could think of was the one that, in the original timeline, allowed Obito and Madara Uchiha to become Six Paths-level: the Ten-Tails.
In other words, Nagato and Obito's efforts to collect the nine Tailed Beasts and revive the Ten-Tails were no longer something Shinji had reason to obstruct—he even welcomed it!
The only difference was their motives: Nagato wanted to use the Ten-Tails to intimidate the shinobi world, Obito and Madara aimed to enact the Eye of the Moon Plan, Black Zetsu sought to revive Kaguya, while Shinji wanted the Ten-Tails to combat the Hegemon of Terror!
Thinking of the potential conflicts that could erupt over the struggle for the nine Tailed Beasts, Shinji felt a headache coming on.
In the original timeline, Nagato had razed Hidden Leaf Village for this cause, and Obito single-handedly sparked the Fourth Great Shinobi War!
A storm of blood and chaos was looming, and Shinji couldn't stop it—he even needed to secretly aid Nagato and Obito to ensure the Ten-Tails' revival.
"All I can do is reduce the intensity of the conflict," he sighed.
Since Nagato and Obito were destined to collect the Tailed Beasts, Shinji didn't need to play the villain himself. His plan was to wait until they had gathered all the Beasts and revived the Ten-Tails, then seize it for himself!
Most of the Tailed Beasts were under the control of the Five Great Villages, and this was where his title as First Chair of the Hidden Leaf ninja academy came into play.
As First Chair, he had one foot in the leadership circle!
As long as he maintained this position, Shinji could easily access intelligence from the Five Great Villages, keeping tabs on the real-time status of all their Jinchuriki.
This was why, during the academy assessment, Shinji hadn't slacked off. Instead, he followed Koharu Utatane's advice and fought with all his might to claim first place.
At this thought, he gently touched the frame of his glasses.
The month spent on the academy assessment hadn't been a waste. Through Susanoo Tomoshibi, he could wield his Rinnegan to continuously absorb the All Creation Power, nourishing his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan!
After a full month of this nourishment, the dojutsu power of his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan had increased significantly.
He faintly felt that his current dojutsu power was sufficient to withstand the First Hokage's cell transplant, but the enhancement of his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan was still ongoing. This meant his Sharingan hadn't yet been nourished to its peak—there was still room for growth!
"No need to rush these final steps," Shinji said, calming his slightly impatient heart.
At this stage, there was no need to hurry. His goal wasn't just to awaken the Rinnegan but to ascend to Six Paths-level and even aim for the Bloodline Encompassing realm of Kaguya, the progenitor of chakra!
Thus, every step had to be taken to its absolute limit to ensure a steady and far-reaching path forward!
Pushing these goals to the back of his mind, Shinji opened the notebook on his desk.
While waiting for his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan to be fully nourished by the All Creation Power, he could use this time to optimize the Breathing Technique.
The Breathing Technique provided immediate enhancements to the human body.
At least until Shinji ascended to Six Paths-level and fully chakra-ified himself, the Breathing Technique could significantly boost his strength.
He now possessed not only the Sun Breathing, the origin of all Breathing Techniques, but also the myriad Breathing Techniques created by generations of Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen, along with the rare cultivation insights collected by Ryūhei Ubuyashiki.
With so many Breathing Technique samples and ready-made materials, combined with Shinji's expertise as a medical ninja and his understanding of the human body, plus the miraculous power of chakra, optimizing the Breathing Technique wasn't an impossible task.
Once the Breathing Technique was perfected and combined with the comprehensive enhancement effects of Blue Spider Lily No. 1, the final result would undoubtedly be something to look forward to!
With that, Shinji focused his mind and dove into the full optimization of the Breathing Technique…
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