When it came to trustworthy forces, Shinji's subordinates in the Akatsuki Organization were undoubtedly the ones he trusted most. Aside from the few who had already reached Six Paths level, only four remained in the Akatsuki Organization: Haku, Yakumo, Ryūsetsuna, and Chiyo.
"Those four..."
Shinji furrowed his brow slightly.
Haku, Yakumo, Ryūsetsuna, and Chiyo were all Bloodline Ninjas. Among ordinary shinobi, they had solid foundations.
But compared to those who had already reached Six Paths level, their potential was more or less exhausted.
Take Haku, for example. He had mastered Ice Release, excelled at Senjutsu and the Breathing Technique, awakened his Curse Mark, and comprehended the Clear World. With the Grass Cutter Sword Shinji had given him, he was strong enough to take on a rampaging experimental subject nearing Six Paths level.
If he had lived in the Shinobi World ten years ago, even the Five Kage would have feared him.
But in this era, when combat strength had skyrocketed, Kage Level shinobi were a dime a dozen, and Six Paths-level beings were everywhere, he wasn't all that powerful.
Yakumo was in much the same position. Like Haku, she had reached the level of a Super Kage. She seemed only one step away from Six Paths level, but her potential was practically spent. Unless they had a spare Chakra Fruit, it would be difficult to bridge the gulf between Kage Level and Six Paths level!
As for Ryūsetsuna and Chiyo, they were a notch weaker than Haku and Yakumo, at Kage Level, with an even greater gap between them and Six Paths level.
Tap, tap, tap.
Shinji drummed his fingers on the table, his mind racing.
There were plenty of ways to increase their strength, and the Research Institute had developed several, such as transplanting First Hokage cells.
Yakumo had