"You all heard what I just said. Things are gradually developing in an unpredictable direction."
"Not only is the Sage of Six Paths manipulating the Shinobi World from the shadows, but the immortals of the Three Great Sage Regions may well be involved too."
"I need to figure out a way to counter the Will of the Six Paths Embedded Seal as soon as possible, and how to protect you from being corrupted by it again."
"Until I figure it out, the organization will temporarily stop expanding. Do your best to maintain the status quo and avoid doing anything too extreme."
"Also, like Orochimaru, send me a message at a set time every day, just in case."
Hyuga Shin gave the three members of the Spark Organization a serious set of instructions.
"Boss, haven't we already purged the Will of the Six Paths Embedded Seal from our bodies?"
"Why do you need to research it? Can't you easily purge the Will of the Six Paths Embedded Seal from a ninja's body?"
Kakuzu would carry out Hyuga Shin's orders without question, but if he had something he wanted to know, he would still ask.
Hidan and Sasori were curious too. They all watched Hyuga Shin expectantly, waiting for his answer.
"Although I can indeed easily remove the will embedded in a ninja's body, that's only something I can do."
"What happens after I die? Which of you can take my place and purge the Will of the Six Paths from our comrades?"
"We can't achieve anything great with just a few of us."
"Besides, although the Will of the Six Paths has indeed been completely purged from your bodies, that doesn't mean you can't be invaded again!"
"If the Sage of Six Paths is willing to pay a certain price, he can still turn you into his puppets!"
"So, for the sake of the future, the organization's continued legacy, and the safety of your own wills, I have to come up with a workable solution as soon as possible."
"Otherwise, the Spark beneath this shroud of darkness could be snuffed out at any moment!"
Hyuga Shin spoke with grave seriousness, making it clear how important he considered the matter.
After hearing him out, Kakuzu, Hidan, and Sasori all understood the blind spots in their own thinking, as well as Hyuga Shin's long-term plans!
As expected of the leader of the Spark Organization—he had thought everything through.
"You should all be careful in the near future. The Sage of Six Paths hasn't discovered that you've escaped his control yet, but that doesn't mean he won't find out."
"If you have nothing else to do, focus on getting stronger!"
"The road ahead won't be easy. Without great strength, you won't be able to help realize the organization's lofty ideals."
"You are among the few sparks left in the darkness. The Shinobi World will need you to save it in the future."
Hyuga Shin warned the three, then followed up with another dose of inspiration. He'd gotten quite used to doing that.
The Great Teacher of the Ninja World certainly lived up to his reputation!
Kakuzu and the others agreed to follow Hyuga Shin's instructions, keep a low profile, and patiently await the results of his research.
"Do you have any other questions? Ask them now, and I'll do my best to answer."
"If not, we'll part ways here. Contact me through the rings if anything comes up."
Hyuga Shin had decided to go into seclusion. Time was running short, and he couldn't afford to take this lightly.
"I have no questions," Kakuzu answered first.
"Boss, my proselytizing won't be affected, will it? You know, Lord Jashin needs regular offerings."
Hidan was truly a devout follower of Lord Jashin. He never forgot his god, no matter the circumstances.
"Do as you see fit, but try not to torture and kill civilians anymore! I want you to remember that."
"Our organization doesn't forbid its members from having other faiths or hobbies, as long as they work toward our common goal."
"But there are some lines you mustn't cross!"
Hyuga Shin answered Hidan's question and drew a clear boundary for him.
"Then it's fine if I only kill bandits who break the law, wicked ninja, and people who offend me, right?"
Although Hidan wasn't entirely happy, he still took care to ask within the boundaries Hyuga Shin had set.
"As long as you don't go too far, do what you want!" Hyuga Shin couldn't be bothered to quibble over it.
After all, Hidan needed the Power of the Evil God to grow stronger. There was no way to restrict that.
As a trump-card fighter, Hidan was acceptable to Hyuga Shin as long as he didn't go overboard.
Hyuga Shin then turned his gaze to Sasori. The meaning was obvious.
"Boss, I want to know how I can quickly improve my strength!" Sasori was quick-witted. He asked a question that Kakuzu and Hidan were both interested in too.
After all, becoming strong in this chaotic, twisted world was every ninja's dream!
And Spark's members, living beneath the shroud of darkness, had even more reason to be determined to grow stronger!
Just as Hyuga Shin had said, without great strength, they couldn't contribute to the organization's lofty ideals.
"Sasori, I already have an answer to your question."
"After breaking free of your restraints, you should have noticed that the purity and quantity of the Chakra in your bodies have improved substantially."
"And with purer Chakra, your jutsu should be twice as powerful when fueled by the same amount of Chakra!"
"If you can quickly adapt to this and learn to control it, you'll be able to greatly improve your strength."
Hyuga Shin answered Sasori's question.
"Understood, Boss." Sasori nodded in agreement.
Hearing that, Kakuzu realized it was true. He hadn't even been out of his cage for more than a few days, and he'd been in such a hurry that he hadn't paid much attention to it.
He hadn't expected that even he, Kakuzu, could still grow stronger. After the Earth Grudge Fear took hold of him, he'd given up hope.
"Before we part, let me give you a few more pointers."
"Kakuzu, you should work on mastering your jutsu, and try to reduce the number of hand seals you need as much as possible."
"Any powerful ninja can generally use their jutsu at will without being constrained by hand seals."
Take Uchiha Madara and Hashirama Senju, for example. One raised two fingers and released a jutsu on the spot; the other brought his hands together, and whatever he called for appeared.
Of course, Hyuga Shin wasn't bad either!
"Also, keep researching compound jutsu that combine different elemental natures, to increase your attack power and range."
Hyuga Shin offered Kakuzu some practical advice on how to improve.
"Understood, Boss! I'll work hard!"
Kakuzu understood Hyuga Shin's advice. It was indeed a good direction for him to work toward.
"As for you, Hidan, try negotiating with the Evil God you worship. See if you can get him to help you grow stronger."
"If he refuses, delay or ignore his demands, and just maintain the basic offerings. I'm sure he'll give in."
Hyuga Shin also offered Hidan some advice.
"You can do that?"
As a devout believer in the Evil God, Hidan had never done anything so blasphemous before.
"Give it a try. You're his only follower in the Shinobi World, so you've got nothing to lose!"
"If he agrees, you'll become incredible—someone who can stand on his own in the organization."
Hyuga Shin was a real schemer, always coming up with crooked ideas to tempt the devout follower of the Evil God.
But now that he thought about it, this trick might actually work on Hidan.
"I get it. I'll talk it over with Lord Jashin." Hidan was just as eager to get stronger.
After all, this was a world where strength was everything. Without it, no one would even listen to you preach to the Evil God.
"As for you, Sasori, you've basically mastered the Ten Finger Manipulation, but you're still not proficient. You can't coordinate your fingers freely, so you can't unleash a saturated attack. That's what you should work on next."
Hyuga Shin also gave Sasori some pointers.
"Yes, Boss. I've noticed that too. I'll work hard on it." Sasori knew where his weaknesses lay.
"All right. If that's everything, we'll part ways here. I'm going into seclusion to conduct my research. It may take two or three months, but I should have some results in as little as half a month."
"Remember what I told you. Your safety comes first. Only those who are truly alive have a bright future!"
With that, Hyuga Shin floated away beneath the gazes of the three.
Before you continue