Orochimaru had expected Hyuga Shin to leave.
After learning about Hyuga Shin's ideals and plans, he had already found his answer.
In this Shinobi World shrouded in darkness, just one or two people couldn't accomplish anything great.
The evil of the Shinobi World had taken root too deeply in people's hearts.
The vast majority had twisted ways of thinking, yet still believed their actions were righteous.
Sometimes, what was terrifying wasn't the people doing evil, but the majority who trusted and supported them.
And considered it only natural.
That was the Shinobi World beneath its veil of shadows.
Before Orochimaru left, Hyuga Shin had also given him a ring and a scroll.
They were things every qualified seed needed to have.
Hizashi Hyuga still had a long way to go. If Hyuga Shin didn't intervene, he probably wouldn't gradually embark on the path Hyuga Shin had mapped out for him until after the war ended.
Over the next few days, aside from his usual research and assignments, Hyuga Shin spent most of his time talking with Orochimaru.
This surprised Tsunade, who was helping Orochimaru.
In Tsunade's eyes, Orochimaru wasn't an easy person to get along with. Even she and Jiraiya had only become close friends with him after growing up alongside him for so long.
But Hyuga Shin?
In just a month, he'd become an old friend of Orochimaru's, to the point that Orochimaru stopped doing anything useful and ran over to see him every day.
If Tsunade hadn't been there the whole time, she would've suspected that Hyuga Shin had used Genjutsu on Orochimaru.
But yesterday, she'd received word from Hyuga Shin that he was about to leave.
Tsunade felt a little sad about it.
Hyuga Shin was one of the few elders left in her cherished childhood memories. He had also saved Nawaki from the brink of death and changed her fate.
After this parting, she didn't know whether it would be forever.
If Hyuga Shin had known what she was thinking, he would've said, Don't worry. There's a good chance you'll die before I do.
Of course, he was joking.
He was the Great Teacher of Virtue, sowing seeds of hope across the Shinobi World for the rest of his life!
He was the guiding light of the sages who would one day unite the Shinobi World!
He couldn't become an evil dragon like the Sage of Six Paths.
Hyuga Shin understood the principle that dragon slayers eventually became dragons.
He would make sure his final act in this role was glorious and influential!
He imagined that by then, he would be the one and only light illuminating this dark world of shinobi!
With Orochimaru and Tsunade there to see him off, Hyuga Shin departed.
He had already more than fulfilled his mission here.
Not only had he guided Orochimaru onto the path he'd hoped for, he had also changed Tsunade Hime's fixed fate.
Next, it was time to find some promising seeds and sow the ideals of hope.
He would guide this ignorant, pitiful group of puppets onto the glorious, righteous path of restoring the Shinobi World.
As for Tsunade Hime's future, he wouldn't interfere anymore. Whether she could join their ranks was Orochimaru's responsibility.
That was also Hyuga Shin's test for Orochimaru.
But he believed Orochimaru wouldn't disappoint him. After all, Tsunade and Nawaki were probably the only two people besides him who had escaped their cages.
With Orochimaru guiding him, Nawaki would be fine.
Tsunade would definitely be more troublesome.
Her views were too rigid. Hyuga Shin had tested the waters several times, but hadn't gotten the answer he wanted.
She was fairly clever, but Tsunade's thinking was too narrow-minded. It would be hard to change her outlook anytime soon.
And Hyuga Shin didn't have much time to waste right now.
Before leaving, Hyuga Shin had also reminded Orochimaru and Tsunade that even though he had changed Nawaki's fate, that didn't mean Nawaki was safe. They still needed to be especially careful from now on.
Orochimaru understood what Hyuga Shin meant.
The Sage of Six Paths might still target Nawaki to force fate back onto its original course.
Tsunade had also taken Hyuga Shin's words to heart and said she would be careful.
Next, he would head to the Land of Wind to find Kakuzu and Hidan.
Using the real-time tracking in the ring, Hyuga Shin quickly pinpointed the Immortal Duo's location.
Once he was beyond the surveillance range of Leaf Camp, Hyuga Shin rose into the air and shot toward the Land of Wind.
On a mountain in the Land of Wind where bandits were hiding,
bandits who'd made their living robbing and plundering had been nailed to the ground, their deaths gruesome. They all looked as if they'd died by suicide.
This was the work of Hidan, who had taken the job.
Lord Jashin had been pestering him for days. Now he'd fed him a full meal all at once.
Lord Jashin probably wouldn't pester him again for a while.
Kakuzu, meanwhile, had taken the bandit chief's head to claim the bounty.
The money was meager, but Kakuzu didn't care. Any profit was good, and he hadn't done much work anyway.
After finishing the job, Kakuzu had planned to take another one and keep earning money, but he changed his mind when the ring began to flash.
He knew Hyuga Shin would arrive soon.
He took Hidan to a quiet place and waited patiently.
Hyuga Shin raced along and reached the area where Kakuzu and Hidan were waiting in no time.
He descended from the sky and flew the rest of the way.
Kakuzu and Hidan had chosen a spot near a remote canyon. The area was full of jutting rock pillars, a little like the battlefield of the Fourth Shinobi World War.
The ground was hard and the rocks were jagged, making it unsuitable for farming. As a result, few people lived nearby, and there were relatively few birds and beasts.
That might also have been due to the harsh environment of the Land of Wind.
"He's here!" Kakuzu sensed Hyuga Shin's arrival and called out to Hidan.
Kakuzu and Hidan immediately stood up from the rocks to greet him.
Within seconds, Hyuga Shin appeared before the Immortal Duo.
"Kakuzu, you've worked hard during this time. Your help has saved me a lot of time."
As soon as he appeared, Hyuga Shin praised Kakuzu's work ethic.
"You're too kind, leader. It's my duty. It's an honor to contribute to a great ideal."
Kakuzu had already begun to settle into his role, thinking of himself as Hyuga Shin's subordinate.
He was a principled man who followed the rules.
Especially in front of a newcomer, a leader's authority had to be upheld. Kakuzu really was born to be an employee!
Hyuga Shin couldn't help feeling proud of his choice once again.
"So this kid is Hidan? He looks pretty young," Hyuga Shin remarked teasingly.
"Old man, you may be the leader, but don't look down on me. Otherwise, Lord Jashin will get angry!"
Though young Hidan had been briefed by Kakuzu on Hyuga Shin's existence, he was still an unafraid newcomer who dared to challenge authority.
"Hidan!"
"Show the leader some respect!" Kakuzu began lecturing Hidan before Hyuga Shin could even speak.
"It's fine. Young people should have a little spirit! How about a match with me?"
Hyuga Shin wasn't bothered by Hidan's words. He even invited him to spar.
Mostly, he wanted to teach Hidan a lesson and show him just how vast the world was. Having a secret technique didn't make him invincible.
Hidan was tempted.
Though he claimed he had no issue with Hyuga Shin being the leader, deep down he had never been convinced.
When Kakuzu had first told him the leader was an old man over eighty, Hidan could hardly believe his ears.
By the time most people were eighty, the grass would be growing over their graves. How could Hyuga Shin still be leading an organization?
He'd immediately questioned Kakuzu about it.
Kakuzu then gave Hidan a crash course in the Warring States period, which finally put his doubts to rest.
Though he'd accepted the explanation on the surface, he was still unconvinced deep down.
He simply couldn't believe an old man in his eighties could still fight.
Kakuzu was partly to blame. He hadn't told Hidan about getting beaten up himself.
Kakuzu still had his pride. How could he tell anyone about his own embarrassing mishaps?
Seeing Hidan eager to fight, Kakuzu didn't stop him. A little hardship would do him good.
This was a perfect chance to show him how strong the leader was.
"Come on!" Hyuga Shin tucked his left hand behind his back and swept out his right sleeve, inviting Hidan forward.
"Then here I come!" Hidan charged, dragging Bloody Three-Month Sickle behind him.
Three minutes later, the match was over.
Hidan was miserable.
He'd been beaten so badly he was nearly traumatized.
If Kakuzu beating him had been like an adult beating a child, Hyuga Shin's beating was easier than swatting an ant.
Hidan couldn't even touch him, let alone get any of his blood. And Hyuga Shin had only used one hand.
It was hard to believe this was an old man in his eighties.
At last, Hidan was convinced of his leader's strength, deep down.
The Shinobi World was a place where strength decided everything. You needed strength to earn respect.
After the match, seeing that Hidan had settled down, Hyuga Shin began preparing for his next move.
He would purge the Will of the Six Paths embedded within the Immortal Duo.
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