Rumors of the world's end had long been rampant, and even the most steadfast were shaken by the bizarre omens, sensing something was deeply wrong.
As the Demon Slayer Corps, guardians of the night, many still wanted to make one final effort.
But when Shinji delivered news of the previous Nine Hashira, the Corps members finally realized that the world's end might not just be a rumor.
In the time remaining, some chose to return home, others to spend with loved ones, but most resolved to keep fighting, seeking the truth.
Leaving Mount Fujikasane, Shinji hurriedly visited several other locations.
Each time, he sensed the presence of spatial rifts, but by the time he arrived, they were empty, the rifts gone.
Clearly, the "Lampbearers" who had crossed over, realizing the Demon Slayer world's barriers lacked a "Lamp" to counter the Hegemon, knew its "Lampbearer" was dead. Opting for self-preservation, they all fled.
Realizing it was unlikely he'd connect with other "Lampbearers" here, Shinji sighed, took one last look at the sky, and chose to leave.
Under dim lamplight, Shinji stepped through and returned to the shinobi world.
Instantly, he felt a weight lift from his soul and body, as if he'd been shackled in the Demon Slayer world.
"It's much more comfortable in the shinobi world!"
Shinji couldn't help but exclaim.
The Demon Slayer world lacked chakra and ambient natural energy, making it stifling for extraordinary beings.
Covering his eyes, he mused, "These past days, even the nourishment from the All Creation Power has slowed!"
After wielding Karin's Rinnegan through his Susanoo Tomoshibi, Shinji's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan received daily nourishment from the All Creation Power drawn from the Rinnegan.
Yet, in the Demon Slayer world, even this effect had diminished.
This deepened Shinji's understanding of how a world's power level impacted a "Lampbearer's" potential.
Ryūhei Ubuyashiki had reached the absolute peak of the Demon Slayer world, making further growth nearly impossible.
In contrast, Shinji faced no such constraints.
The shinobi world's theoretical ceiling was staggeringly high. Even Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, who achieved Bloodline Encompassing, feared enemies.
Thus, in the shinobi world, Shinji didn't need to worry about hitting a power ceiling anytime soon. He could focus solely on growing stronger.
After adjusting briefly, Shinji oriented himself and sped toward the Hidden Leaf Village.
He had instructed his team to disband upon returning to the shinobi world, so he wasn't concerned about Karin and the others.
Soon, Shinji returned to the Hidden Leaf, replacing the shadow clone he'd left behind.
The village had been uneventful, with the biggest news being the ninja academy's annual end-of-term season.
Perhaps due to the recent surge of prodigies, the exams had become a major event, a hot topic across the village, from streets to noble estates.
Absorbing his shadow clone's memories, Shinji exhaled, muttering, "One moment I'm lamenting a world's destruction and worrying about the shinobi world's future, and now I'm fretting over academy exams. What a mess!"
Grumbling aside, Shinji patiently reviewed recent events in the shinobi world.
Though he had eradicated most of the demons left in the shinobi world, various factions hadn't stopped researching demonic blood and flesh power.
Even the Hidden Leaf was quietly conducting such studies.
Tsunade's team, leveraging data from developing the aging agent, had made significant progress in reverse-engineering the research.
According to intelligence from the Grass Village, other villages were secretly gathering drugs to stimulate cell growth or enhance cell activity, including the Hidden Rain Village.
Reviewing the Grass Village's reports, Shinji thought, "Makes sense. With demons pushing blood and flesh power to such heights, how could shinobi ignore it?"
Shinobi had no rigid allegiances.
To them, anything that boosted strength—taijutsu, genjutsu, ninjutsu, secret techniques, or even forbidden jutsu—was worth studying or practicing.
During the ninja world wars, villages collected corpses from rival ninjas for research. Spying to steal techniques, secret arts, or kidnapping Bloodline Limit ninjas was commonplace.
Shaking his head with a wry smile, Shinji pulled out the research materials plundered from Ryūhei.
No one understood demons better than Ryūhei, the Demon King. With his materials, Shinji had no fear of falling behind other villages' research teams.
Sorting through the documents, he planned his next steps.
The Hegemon of Fear was currently devouring the Demon Slayer world. Though it had lost its "Lampbearer," consuming an entire world would still take time, giving Shinji a window to grow stronger.
The question was how to do so!
"I need to prioritize awakening my own Rinnegan!"
He quickly set his first goal.
After succeeding with Karin's Rinnegan, he could replicate her success to awaken his own, elevating his strength to a new level.
But a Rinnegan alone wasn't enough. He needed to aim for the "Six Paths level" or even the immortal "Bloodline Encompassing" state!
However, there was no clear path to these tiers.
Madara Uchiha, in his lifetime, only barely awakened the Rinnegan, still far from the true "Six Paths level."
It was only through the combined efforts of Nagato, Obito, and Black Zetsu, along with various twists of fate, that he became the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, barely crossing the "Six Paths" threshold.
Thus, from Super Kage to "Six Paths level," there was no clear progression path. The only opportunity seemed to be the Ten-Tails—a hot potato coveted by all factions.