Not long after emerging from Orochimaru's soul space, the Will of the Six Paths within Tsunade and Nawaki was also purged.
All three could clearly feel as though a massive boulder that had weighed on them for years had finally been lifted.
Their rapidly eroded soul consciousness gradually recovered as well.
Tsunade and Nawaki still looked at Hyuga Shin with some curiosity.
They had no idea what had happened and only felt that some kind of change had occurred within their bodies.
Only Orochimaru, who had regained consciousness, knew the general truth. His entire demeanor had become somewhat dispirited.
His complexion also turned extremely ugly. It was obvious that his heart was far from calm.
As usual, Hyuga Shin gave Tsunade and the others no explanation. Instead, he prepared to take them back to the camp.
As for why he had come to this old place to erase the Will of the Six Paths, it was because he feared that, once discovered, the Sage of Six Paths would shamelessly control other shinobi and send them to interfere.
As things stood, it seemed to have worked quite well. Nothing had stirred up any trouble.
Meanwhile, the Sage of Six Paths, who was in the Pure Land, was practically furious enough to explode!
He had never expected Hyuga Shin to be so bold! He had actually pulled out every nail he had buried!
He had even completely ground away the portion of his will that had reached into the Shinobi World!
This made him realize that Hyuga Shin's existence could very well affect the spread and dissemination of his Chakra system!
This Warring States Remnant had not only successfully altered the Fate Script he had established, but also understood his actions all too well!
What worried the Sage of Six Paths even more was that Hyuga Shin was fully capable of delivering a devastating blow to the Chakra system he had built!
The Sage of Six Paths could no longer restrain his killing intent. For over a thousand years, no one had ever made him lose his composure like this!
Even when he had once fought a great battle with his younger brother over their differing ideals, he had never been this enraged.
Hyuga Shin was no longer merely an unstable factor. He was the gravedigger of the Chakra system of the Six Paths!
He absolutely could not be allowed to remain alive!
The best option would be to drag his soul into the Pure Land and torture him brutally every day. Only then could the Sage of Six Paths vent his fury.
But how to deal with Hyuga Shin now was indeed a difficult problem.
The inaction of the immortals from the Three Great Sage Regions also infuriated the Sage of Six Paths.
They had been the ones to propose cooperation back then, yet now they ignored his pleas for help.
If not for the efforts he had made, the Shinobi World would never have reached its current state.
But look at them—they broke the pot after eating from it, taking all the benefits for themselves.
The Sage of Six Paths was helpless in the face of this. These native immortals' control over the deeper powers of this world far exceeded his expectations.
What left the Sage of Six Paths most helpless was that he could not defeat them!
Although his Yin-Yang Release had long since reached perfection, allowing him to reverse life and death, transform in countless ways, and wield boundless power, he could use any ninjutsu with ease!
The Three Great Sages completely countered him.
After all, the paths they followed could also be considered one of the immortal paths.
At the very least, their cultivation methods were based on Natural Energy.
They might not embody the Great Path, but they still possessed absolute suppression over an unorthodox path like that of the Sage of Six Paths.
The Sage of Six Paths was brooding angrily when a powerful aura suddenly came from the east of the Pure Land.
It was extremely savage, directly confronting the Sage of Six Paths, whose killing intent was becoming difficult to control.
"Hmph! Some things in the Pure Land have been acting up again lately. Do you really think I'm a pushover? If I can't deal with Hyuga Shin, who's far away, can't I deal with you monsters and demons?"
The Sage of Six Paths was brimming with anger and had been looking for somewhere to vent it. He immediately soared into the sky and shot toward the eastern part of the Pure Land.
Iwagakure border, Leaf Camp.
After returning to the camp, Hyuga Shin parted ways with Orochimaru and the others. The matter had already been dealt with.
The rest could be left to time.
Hyuga Shin believed that Orochimaru would not disappoint him.
With his talent, once freed from the Sage of Six Paths' restraints, he would surely undergo earth-shaking changes!
All Hyuga Shin could do now was guide him, continuously water and fertilize Orochimaru's perfect seed.
He would hasten its sprouting, establish an ideal for Orochimaru, and usher in his mission and rebirth!
Several days passed in succession. Orochimaru had basically lost all interest in handling political affairs, so he asked Tsunade to help out for a while.
He was contemplating the truth of the world!
As Hyuga Shin had said, his former self had been like a Toad sitting at the bottom of a well, able to see only a tiny patch of sky.
The Shinobi World was a gigantic cage that had trapped every shinobi to death!
If not for Hyuga Shin's guidance and help, Orochimaru feared that he would never have escaped that cage!
Even someone as powerful as Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara had ended up the same way, hadn't they?
Orochimaru admitted that he did not possess their strength, but he was luckier than the two of them.
When his body had become completely pure, he could feel a freedom that came from the depths of his heart filling both body and soul.
Perhaps it truly was time to leave this game of endless conflict between ninja villages.
It was nothing more than a series of clownish performances, yet countless people died because of them. How tragic!
Perhaps, just as Hyuga Shin had said, there had been no era in these centuries of warfare without powerful individuals!
It was not that no one had ever thought of unifying the Shinobi World. Rather, their thoughts must all have been altered!
"This world has truly fallen beyond redemption!"
"Elder Shin, is this the reason you've persisted all this time?"
"How powerful must the darkness hidden within the Shinobi World be?"
"The Sage of Six Paths is already so powerful. What about the immortals of the Three Great Sage Regions? What roles do they play?"
Orochimaru had begun seeking the truth of the Shinobi World.
And he was drawing closer and closer to it.
His thoughts continued to ascend. The pond of the Shinobi World could never hold back this wild horse that had already broken free of its reins.
He increasingly agreed with Hyuga Shin's ideal of unification.
The more the mastermind behind the scenes opposed something, the more it showed that they were already walking the correct path.
At dusk, Orochimaru came alone to visit Hyuga Shin.
After sorting out his thoughts, his entire spirit and bearing had changed.
It was the feeling of freedom, like a bird that had long been confined in a cage finally escaping, spreading its wings, and soaring into the sky.
"You're here? Sit!" Hyuga Shin sat on the tatami inside the tent and beckoned Orochimaru over.
"Elder, forgive the intrusion!" Orochimaru greeted him politely.
"Have all the doubts in your heart been resolved? Since you've come, ask whatever you want. I won't make you guess riddles this time."
Hyuga Shin knew why Orochimaru had come. He clearly had something to ask.
"Elder Shin, why do you think so highly of me? We shouldn't have known each other before."
Orochimaru did not rush to ask about the matter. Instead, he voiced the question that had troubled him all this time.
Although he was indeed outstanding, he was also quite confident of that fact.
After all, as a commoner in an era when most people relied on clan secret techniques and bloodlines to become strong, he had every right to be proud!
"It's true that you don't know me, but how do you know that I don't know you?"
"I was already watching you before you became one of the Sannin."
Hyuga Shin invoked authority and told his lies without the slightest hesitation, sounding completely natural.
He was becoming increasingly adept at playing the role of the Great Teacher of Virtue.
After hearing Hyuga Shin's answer, the doubts in Orochimaru's heart were resolved, and a smile spread across his face.
For the leek-like masses of the ninja world, being valued and trusted by a strong individual was always something worth celebrating and anticipating.
Hyuga Shin had understood this long ago and wielded it with great proficiency.
"Elder, what are your plans for the future?" Orochimaru asked.
"Perhaps, during this final stretch, I'll do my best to leave seeds of hope for this world."
Hyuga Shin wore a solemn expression, as though he were a great saint worrying over all living beings in the Shinobi World.
"Do you already have a plan, Elder?" Orochimaru asked.
"Yes. For now, I'll prioritize researching how to investigate and eradicate the Will of the Six Paths."
"Otherwise, any action would be pointless, merely adding to the ridicule and making wedding clothes for someone else."
"What comes next?" Orochimaru continued asking.
"Establish an organization, set up an ideal, recruit a group of strong individuals, and make an effort for this twisted Shinobi World!"
"I want to create a perfect Shinobi World unified under one banner!"
"As for whether we succeed or fail, that will depend on Heaven's will. At least we will have tried!"
"Born in darkness, my heart turns toward the light! I hope this will be the epitaph of my life after I die!"
"Will you support me, Mr. Orochimaru?"
Hyuga Shin began explaining his plans to Orochimaru and asking for his opinion.
"I will! Elder Shin! Please, you must let me join!" Orochimaru responded with absolute determination.
The newly born seed had finally sprouted, and the dragon-slaying hero had already set forth.
The day of reckoning was not far away!
Sage of Six Paths! Were you ready to face your judgment?
Before you continue