Sasuke's face remained dark, clearly unconvinced by Shinji's assessment.
"Heh."
Shinji chuckled. He understood that expression all too well. Since part of his reason for seeking out Sasuke today was to test the boy's current strength, he simply beckoned to him, signaling for a spar.
Sasuke's eyes lit up, and he immediately perked up. "Careful. I'm coming!"
Whoosh!
In the next instant, Sasuke activated Amenotejikara, swapping places with the air behind Shinji. Without weaving a single sign, he manifested a Chidori and thrust it toward Shinji's back.
He knew that even with the Six-Tomoe Rinnegan, he couldn't match Shinji in raw power, so he intended to rely on the element of surprise.
However, just as he thought his ambush would cause Shinji some trouble, Shinji didn't even turn around. He merely tilted his body slightly, dodging the Chidori with pinpoint precision. Then, he reached out a hand and snatched Sasuke's right wrist mid-thrust.
"This!?"
Sasuke gasped and immediately tried to break free.
But no matter how much strength he applied, his right hand remained firmly in Shinji's grip, as if locked by tempered steel.
Shinji looked at Sasuke calmly. "Your killing intent couldn't even deceive me, let alone Daemon, who has mastered Shinjutsu."
Once a shinobi reaches a certain level, beyond basic attributes like strength and speed, the control over one's killing intent, emotions, and mindset becomes a vital metric of true power.
Sasuke's ambush using Amenotejikara would be considered perfect at the Kage level or below. But once one enters the Trans-Kage or Six Paths Level, that attack becomes riddled with flaws.
It wasn't just Shinji; even Karin, Hikari, or even the slightly weaker Haku would likely find such an ambush ineffective.
"Killing intent..."
Sasuke seemed to grasp something.
Shinji released Sasuke's wrist. "In terms of controlling his killing intent, Naruto is ahead of you."
Sasuke replied firmly, "I will catch up to him."
Shinji shook his head. The trauma of his clan's massacre had made Sasuke somewhat eager for quick results in everything he did. However, this was both his weakness and his greatest strength—at the very least, it gave him the drive to keep improving.
Next, Shinji mentioned his requirement for at least six Six Paths Level powerhouses.
Sasuke spoke up immediately, "Shinji, I can do it!"
"Mm, I've already counted you in." Shinji nodded. "You should know by now that you are the current reincarnation of Otsutsuki Indra, right?"
Sasuke answered, "I've heard. My chakra is one of the key elements for awakening the Rinnegan."
Shinji continued, "Otsutsuki Indra was the son of the Sage of Six Paths. So, from a certain perspective, you could consider yourself half a son to him."
"I am the son of the Sage of Six Paths?"
Sasuke was completely bewildered, not understanding how his father had suddenly become the legendary Sage.
Shinji's expression turned serious. "I just tested your strength. You are still quite a distance away from the Six Paths Level. If you want to make that breakthrough, your only hope likely lies with the Sage of Six Paths himself."
Sasuke was confused. "But hasn't the Sage of Six Paths already passed away?"
Shinji explained, "The Sage of Six Paths did not die—or rather, he is not dead in the absolute sense. He exists in the form of a spirit within a specific sub-dimension of the shinobi world!"
Sasuke asked, "Then why is my hope for breaking through on him?"
Shinji said, "Because he can directly bestow Six Paths Chakra upon you, helping you cross that threshold!"
Although Shinji's current realm surpassed that of the Sage of Six Paths, in the technique of bestowing power, he might not be better than the man who founded Ninshu and shared his chakra with the world.
In the original timeline, the Sage of Six Paths elevated Naruto and Sasuke to the quasi-Six Paths Level by granting them the Yang Power and Yin Power. Without that, they wouldn't even have had the qualification to face Six Paths Madara, let alone Otsutsuki Kaguya.
Therefore, if the Sage could elevate a Sasuke who only had the Eternal Mangekyo to such heights, one could only imagine the boost he could give to a Sasuke who already possessed a Six-Tomoe Rinnegan.
At the mention of a way to reach the Six Paths Level, Sasuke's face filled with joy. "What do I need to do?"
"Follow me."
As he spoke, Shinji opened a spatial gate and stepped through. Sasuke followed without hesitation.
After crossing the gate, Sasuke found himself in a strange place where the vegetation was incredibly lush—some leaves were taller than a human.
Sasuke looked around and asked, "This is...?"
Shinji replied, "This is Mount Myoboku, one of the three Great Sage Regions."
Sasuke realized, "So this is Mount Myoboku? No wonder..."
Upon entering, he had sensed the air was different from the normal world. Hearing the name, he realized this was where Naruto trained in Sage Mode!
Sasuke asked, "Shinji, why are we here?"
Shinji didn't explain, leading the way deep into the mountain. Sasuke followed silently.
Before long, Great Sage Shima appeared. She stared warily at Shinji, who was dressed as Akatsuki's "A." "To what do we owe the honor of your visit, Excellency?"
Shinji said casually, "Take me to see the Great Toad Sage."
"Very well."
Shima hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded. Though reluctant, she did not dare refuse Shinji.
Arriving at the Great Toad Sage's residence, Shinji finally saw the legendary, bloated figure.
At that moment, Naruto's voice echoed from within the hall: "Sasuke!"
Sasuke was surprised to see Naruto here. "Naruto? Why are you here?"
It turned out that Shinji's recent removal of Eida and Daemon from the Leaf had triggered a sense of crisis in the village elders, prompting them to send Naruto to Mount Myoboku. However, they clearly hadn't anticipated that a mere Sage Region couldn't stop Shinji.
Naruto walked up to Sasuke, glancing warily at Shinji before asking, "What are you doing here?"
Sasuke didn't answer because he didn't know the purpose of the trip either; he had simply followed Shinji.
Shinji ignored Naruto. He looked up at the Great Toad Sage on the high platform and, without wasting words, spoke directly to the point:
"I want to see Otsutsuki Hagoromo."