Staring at this pair of 'Sage Eyes' he had created with his own hands, Shinji felt a solid sense of fulfillment, as if years of effort had finally paid off.
"Leader, my… my eyes…"
Being stared at so intensely by Shinji, Karin felt a bit uneasy.
At the same time, she sensed the changes in her eyes. After all, the vision of the Rinnegan was noticeably different from that of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
In fact.
Although the Rinnegan was hailed as the 'Sage Eyes' and its chakra level far surpassed ordinary dojutsu Bloodline Limits, it wasn't superior to other dojutsu Bloodline Limits in every aspect.
For instance, in amplifying genjutsu, the Rinnegan was inferior to the Sharingan. In long-range reconnaissance and clairvoyance, it was outclassed by the Byakugan.
The true strength of the Rinnegan lay in its top-tier perception abilities, combined with mastery of the 'All Creation Power,' granting a wide array of miraculous dojutsu techniques, even the ability to defy life and death, truly bringing people back from the dead!
It was this versatility that made its capabilities nearly flawless, with almost no weaknesses.
Snapping back to reality, Shinji said to Karin, "We did it!"
"Really?"
Karin's excitement surged.
No one understood better than her how much effort and time the leader had poured into creating this pair of 'Sage Eyes.'
As the excitement subsided, Shinji began organizing the data from Karin's charge toward the Rinnegan while asking her, "How do you feel now?"
"It's incredible!" Karin paused, as if choosing her words carefully, before continuing, "Leader, it's like I've gained some new abilities."
"Oh? What kind of abilities?"
Shinji's interest was piqued.
Karin raised her hand toward a trash can in the corner of the laboratory. With a whoosh, the trash can was pulled into the air by an invisible force, swiftly flying toward her.
Grabbing the trash can from midair, Karin exclaimed with delight, "Leader, this is the ability I just awakened—'Bansho Ten'in'!"
Shinji smiled and nodded, "Not bad. Try the others!"
With a thought, Karin sent the trash can flying outward, crashing heavily into the laboratory wall, shattering into pieces across the floor.
"Leader, this ability is called 'Shinra Tensei,' the counterpart to 'Bansho Ten'in.' 'Bansho Ten'in' controls attraction, while 'Shinra Tensei' manipulates repulsion!"
Karin explained her abilities to Shinji as she demonstrated.
Shinji listened, nodding slightly.
From Karin's display of 'Bansho Ten'in' and 'Shinra Tensei,' two of the Rinnegan's abilities, it was clear that his greatest concern hadn't come to pass.
This was expected.
The Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan in Karin's eye sockets had been fused using her own chakra, making her, in a sense, the original owner of that pair of eyes.
Since this pair of Rinnegan evolved from that Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, unlike Nagato, who had transplanted Uchiha Madara's Rinnegan, Karin hadn't received someone else's eyes. She had awakened the Rinnegan through her own power, allowing her to immediately master its basic abilities without the adaptation and exploration process Nagato had endured.
Shinji began to ponder.
This pair of Rinnegan was of great use to him. Not only did he need abilities on the level of the Rinnegan to capture the mysterious figure in the Demon Slayer world, but this pair would also be crucial for awakening his own Rinnegan.
Since the Rinnegan could harness the 'All Creation Power,' as long as he used 'Susanoo Tomoshibi' to control this pair of Rinnegan, he could continuously draw 'All Creation Power' from them through 'Susanoo Tomoshibi's' ability, nourishing his own Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
After all, transplanting First Hokage cells was an extremely risky procedure.
Both Yakumo and Karin had faced crises, to varying degrees, during their First Hokage cell transplant surgeries.
At the time, Shinji had been there, using the 'Wazunagi' channel to help them drain the rampant Yang Release chakra in their bodies, maintaining the fragile balance of yin and yang. But when it came time for Shinji to undergo his own First Hokage cell transplant, no one would be there to regulate his yin-yang balance.
This was why he had delayed his own transplant surgery.
Despite the high likelihood of surviving the procedure with the dojutsu power of his current Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, he was unwilling to take the risk.
Now, with this pair of Rinnegan, he could use 'Susanoo Tomoshibi' to harness and draw 'All Creation Power,' slowly nurturing his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
The stronger the dojutsu power of his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, the greater the Yin Release chakra it contained, and the lower the risk during the First Hokage cell transplant.
Thus, acquiring this pair of Rinnegan not only boosted his strength significantly but also provided immense support for awakening his own Rinnegan!
Of course.
He had no intention of removing the Rinnegan from Karin's eye sockets just yet. Since the Rinnegan had only just been awakened and its state was unstable, Karin needed a short period to adapt. He planned to wait a few days until her condition stabilized before extracting the Rinnegan from her eye sockets.
So, he took out two specially crafted contact lenses and handed them to Karin, "These are custom-made for you. Wear them over your eyes, and they'll conceal the unique pupils of the Rinnegan."
Karin quickly put on the contact lenses.
Unlike the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, the Rinnegan couldn't be easily deactivated—at least, she hadn't yet found a way to do so. These contact lenses were exactly what she needed.
Shinji continued, "Once your condition stabilizes, I'll take the Rinnegan."
"Yes!"
Karin wasn't surprised. She had always known that the leader's efforts—transplanting the Mangekyo Sharingan, fusing the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, and so on—were all for this pair of Rinnegan.
The next morning.
Yakumo and Sasuke, both visibly exhausted, unexpectedly crossed paths at the gates of the Shinobi Academy.
"Morning!"
Yakumo greeted listlessly.
Sasuke glanced at her and nodded, "Morning!"
After exchanging greetings, the two walked side by side into the academy.
Last night, not only had they stayed up waiting until the latter half of the night, but Shinji had also used 'Wazunagi' to drain all their chakra. It would be strange if they were in good spirits!
At the training field, the two parted ways.
As they separated, Sasuke couldn't help but mutter, "Did Yakumo train all night? Why does she look even more tired than me?"
Meanwhile, Yakumo thought to herself, "Sasuke looks like that… Could the leader have extracted his chakra last night too? What was the leader doing last night?"