Though his consciousness was gradually fading, Neji did not give up. After hearing Hyuga Kagami's whispered instructions, he forced himself to form the hand seals for a contract with the Ryumyaku.
This kind of contract might not have succeeded even if he had been fully conscious.
But he understood that this was his only chance to seize control of his own fate. He did not want to be a worthless cripple, much less a bird forever trapped in a cage.
Thus, though his hands trembled slightly as he formed the seals, they were incomparably resolute!
Having stepped aside, Hyuga Kagami silently watched the scene.
Giving Neji an opportunity to form a contract with the Ryumyaku was already the limit of what he could do. After all, he was not yet at the "Six Paths level" and could not directly bestow power like the Sage of Six Paths.
As for the Ryumyaku, his decision had not been made on a whim.
During the ritual, he had discovered that his contract with the Ryumyaku had begun affecting his attempt to reach the "Six Paths level." This Jinchuriki-like contractual relationship had made his connection with the Ryumyaku too close, leaving his spiritual body and chakra insufficiently pure.
This had not mattered during the first or second stages of the ritual, but by the third stage, which involved elevating one's level of life, the effects had gradually begun to surface.
The most direct effect was that their overly close contractual relationship caused a portion of the Ryumyaku's chakra to unwittingly participate in the crucial chakra fusion.
The chakra fusion within Hyuga Kagami's body had all been precisely calculated. There was an extremely delicate balance between chakras of different attributes; once other uncontrollable chakra flowed in, it would interfere with—or even break—that balance.
Secondly, this