The entire process of recreating the potion went off without a hitch, once again proving the cheat-like power of 'Izanami no Mikoto' in peering into the branches of fate.
However, with Shinji's current level of dojutsu mastery, he could vaguely sense something amiss during the recovery of his eye power.
He wasn't sure if it was backlash from overusing his dojutsu or some kind of consequence from excessively manipulating fate with 'Izanami no Mikoto.'
"This technique should be used sparingly from now on," Shinji silently warned himself.
If one's strength was insufficient, becoming obsessed with toying with fate would inevitably lead to being toyed with by fate in return.
Shinji didn't even have a pair of Rinnegan yet, far from reaching the threshold of Six Paths-level power, so he was nowhere near qualified to bear the weight of fate.
Reining in his thoughts, Shinji immediately began basic testing on the newly concocted potion.
This process was second nature to him. With the aid of several precision instruments in his secret laboratory, it didn't take long for him to confirm that the new aging potion had been successfully created.
"I'll call you Type-4 Aging Potion," Shinji declared, giving the newly formulated potion an official name.
As for how much stronger the Type-4 Aging Potion was compared to Type-3, even the most advanced instruments he had couldn't provide an exact measurement.
This was mainly because, at this stage, the aging potion's optimization had far surpassed the actual needs of the shinobi world.
Living beings in the shinobi world, relying solely on their physical vitality, couldn't withstand even the Type-3 Aging Potion, let alone the Type-4. There was no need for such a potent cellular poison, so the instruments lacked corresponding metrics.
Of course.
If the Type-4 Aging Potion were released into the shinobi world, its potency wouldn't be as exaggerated as one might imagine. While shinobi bodies couldn't resist the poison's effects, their myriad ninjutsu, sealing techniques, and puppetry could significantly mitigate its power.
Even someone like Hanzo of the Salamander, who could unleash terrifying poison mist on a massive scale and was hailed as a 'demi-god' in the shinobi world, was ultimately confined to the Land of Rain. The shinobi world was simply full of too many strange and varied techniques.
Carefully extracting the test tube containing the Type-4 Aging Potion from the testing equipment, Shinji held it up to inspect it closely.
Unlike the stereotypical image of a dark, ominous poison, the Type-4 Aging Potion was crystal clear. From its appearance, it didn't look like a lethal poison at all.
But Shinji knew exactly how toxic the substance in his hand was. Even without direct injection, merely opening the test tube's seal and letting the potion's scent disperse would be enough to knock out all living creatures in a wide area.
"The Type-3 Aging Potion already had a clear suppressive effect on demons like Upper Moon Two. Now that I've optimized it further, the potency should be even greater!"
It was certain that Type-4 was stronger than Type-3. The only thing Shinji wasn't sure about was how much stronger, and that couldn't be determined by instruments—it required live testing to see the results!
Nighttime, at a training ground in Hidden Leaf Village
Thud, thud, thud.
Amid the sound of slicing air, several shuriken lined up in a row, embedding precisely into a wooden post.
But Sasuke, who had thrown the shuriken, showed no trace of satisfaction. His face darkened as he muttered, "Damn it! Damn it!"
After Tsunade's squad departed, Sasuke had sought out Kakashi, both to question why he was excluded from the mission and to find out what Tsunade's team was tasked with.
Upon learning that their target was Upper Moon Two—the demon that had nearly killed him—Sasuke was furious.
Having just recovered the dojutsu power in his right eye, he had been single-mindedly plotting revenge against Upper Moon Two. Now, with the opportunity right in front of him, the village refused to let him join. His frustration was palpable.
Whoosh.
At that moment, a figure appeared behind Sasuke.
Sasuke instantly turned, alert, then stiffened. "Sir!"
Undoubtedly, the figure behind him was Shinji's true self, wearing a cat-face mask and a hooded red-cloud cloak.
He studied Sasuke's right eye and asked, "Your dojutsu power has recovered?"
Sasuke nodded. "Yes, it's fully restored! When are we going after Upper Moon Two? I can't wait any longer!"
Shinji smiled. "Your right eye's power only just recovered. Are you sure you want to rush into challenging Upper Moon Two?"
"Of course!" Sasuke replied without hesitation.
Recalling his earlier insights from using 'Izanami no Mikoto,' Shinji, with rare patience, said, "It took you weeks to recover your dojutsu power this time. Next time, it could take months, or even longer. So, think carefully about whether you really want to challenge Upper Moon Two again."
Hearing Shinji's solemn tone, Sasuke hesitated slightly.
Shinji continued, "To win as a shinobi, you need more than just personal strength. You must gather intelligence on your opponent and assess their abilities. Upper Moon Two has already faced our Mangekyo Uchiha multiple times. Your dojutsu is no longer a secret to it. Have you prepared a new strategy?"
Sasuke asked, "Can I have one day to think it over?"
Seeing Sasuke rein in his impulsiveness, Shinji nodded. "Fine. I'll give you one day to think it through carefully."
With that, Shinji vanished.
As the contemporary reincarnation of Indra Otsutsuki, Sasuke was a backup for Shinji's 'Rinnegan Plan' and someone he intended to nurture. If conditions allowed, Shinji was willing to guide him.
The next evening
Shinji returned to the training ground, where Sasuke was already waiting. He asked, "Have you decided? Are you going to challenge Upper Moon Two again?"
"If I shy away from a challenge like this, how will I ever face that man in the future? I've made up my mind. I'm challenging Upper Moon Two again, and this time, I'll take it down myself!"
Sasuke's response was resolute.
Shinji didn't waste words. "Get ready. We leave tonight!"
This time, Shinji was personally conducting the test, so there was no need to bring Haku—just him and Sasuke.
After instructing Sasuke to leave a shadow clone in the village, Shinji activated the 'Lamp' ability, instantly transporting himself and Sasuke to the snowy plains of northern Land of Iron.
Whoosh, whoosh.
Facing the blizzard before him, Sasuke let out a cold snort. "Upper Moon Two, I'm here!"