After researching and refining his techniques, Hyuga Shin had made enormous progress on both his Small Space Barrier project and his Soul Firewall.
In his calculations, he had made a major breakthrough in how the Power of Heaven and Earth could be used in the Small Space Barrier.
He had also figured out how to keep it running for a long time.
It could now basically perform the functions he wanted. As for making it work even better, he would need to keep refining it later.
He also needed somewhere relatively safe to create it.
The Soul Firewall had also been greatly simplified, making it much easier to learn.
Hyuga Shin had come up with a way to divide the complex jutsu formula into eight corresponding Sealing Scrolls, turning it into a modular system.
People only needed to learn a few simple basics before they could guide the formulas and successfully combine them into a complete seal.
That would perfectly protect their souls and wills.
It was as simple as building with blocks.
It would also make the system much easier for future members of the organization to learn. Each person could learn just one part of the sealing formula, then inscribe it onto a Sealing Scroll.
That way, even after he left, the organization would be able to sustain and protect itself.
Now that his research had yielded results, it was time to test it out, including on human subjects.
There was no time to waste. And the more obedient the Sage of Six Paths was, the more uneasy Hyuga Shin felt.
It was like when the kids at home suddenly got quiet—it meant they were up to something.
Hyuga Shin didn't hesitate any longer. He contacted Kakuzu and the others at once, telling them to meet in the capital of the Land of Wind.
He could tell where they were through their rings. The capital of the Land of Wind was the closest meeting point for all of them, which would save a lot of time.
As for Orochimaru, he was probably under close watch right now. For the time being, Hyuga Shin wouldn't go poking at the nerves of the Sage of Six Paths and the Three Great Insect Sages.
He would send Orochimaru a message once everything was confirmed.
At the great canyon in the Land of Wind, where Hyuga Shin had first met Kakuzu and Hidan, Kakuzu had chosen to practice his jutsu.
The place was remote, with plenty of space and solid ground. It was an excellent training spot.
He had just finished a day of training and was resting on a stone pillar when a message from Hyuga Shin arrived.
"Has the boss finally finished his research?" Seeing the message on his ring, Kakuzu let out a long sigh of relief.
He had been under a lot of pressure lately and had been training hard, to the point that he wasn't even taking jobs for money.
But Hyuga Shin had been right: after the parasite was removed, both the amount and quality of his Chakra had increased enormously.
His jutsu had become much more powerful with the same Chakra output, and his Chakra reserves had nearly doubled!
He had also made some progress in shortening jutsu hand seals and developing combined jutsu.
All this had greatly strengthened Kakuzu. He was immeasurably stronger than before he joined the organization!
Ever since Earth Grudge Fear had taken hold of him, Kakuzu couldn't remember the last time he'd experienced such a thrilling increase in strength.
After receiving the message, Kakuzu quickly packed up and set off for the capital of the Land of Wind.
Elsewhere, Sasori had found another remote village for his research and training.
At first, he had wanted to train with Kakuzu and the others. Practicing alongside someone else could be a great motivator.
But Hidan had gone off to preach to the Evil God and ask for favors, which meant he would be traveling all over. There was no way they could train together.
Kakuzu, meanwhile, had said the organization was still weak, so its members needed some independence—and they had to avoid being wiped out all at once.
So they had all gone their separate ways.
After receiving Hyuga Shin's message, Sasori quickly packed up and set off.
He had made some good progress during this time. His Chakra went without saying; the biggest improvement was in his mastery of the Puppet Technique.
His control and coordination with the Ten Finger Manipulation had also improved.
His main achievement was that he had nearly completed the process of turning the Third Kazekage into a puppet!
His strength had taken a qualitative leap.
As for Hidan, he had probably changed the most out of the three.
Ever since Hyuga Shin had opened up a whole new world for him, Hidan had thrown himself into it without looking back.
He really had started bargaining with the Evil God, and he'd gotten a lot out of it!
Not only had his Power of the Evil God grown enormously, he had also become much more tactful when dealing with the Evil God.
This had given one particular being in the Pure Land quite a headache.
But with just this one precious follower, what else could they do?
They could only spoil him.
After all, they had gone to a great deal of trouble to plant a pawn in the world controlled by the Sage of Six Paths. They couldn't bear to lose him.
Hidan had assumed that Lord Jashin was too exalted to care about a failure like him. He hadn't expected Lord Jashin to value him so much.
That put Hidan in a wonderful mood, and he was very grateful for Hyuga Shin's advice.
After completing his offering for the day, Hidan had planned to have a good chat with Lord Jashin and see if he could ask for more favors.
But when he saw the message on his ring, he gave up on the idea of chatting with Lord Jashin.
Then he hefted his Bloody Three-Month Sickle and hurried toward the capital of the Land of Wind.
A day later, the three of them arrived in the capital of the Land of Wind one after another.
Hyuga Shin had already booked a room and was waiting for them.
Kakuzu, Hidan, and Sasori were each led to the room Hyuga Shin had booked by a server.
"Everyone's here. Let's eat first. You must be tired from the trip, so we'll talk after the meal." Hyuga Shin immediately asked the server to bring out the food.
He was considerate toward his subordinates. He couldn't just squander the bonds he had worked so hard to build.
The more secure things seemed, the more effort he needed to put in.
A bit of motivational talk was still necessary, but care, recognition, and consideration from a strong leader could be just as powerful.
Hyuga Shin understood people in the Shinobi World so well that even that Old Bastard, the Sage of Six Paths, would probably feel ashamed by comparison.
The three of them ate their fill. They clearly hadn't been eating well lately. Hyuga Shin was no different; he had been shut in his room making calculations every day, and his meals had been irregular.
Hyuga Shin didn't order any alcohol, and the others didn't ask for any.
Sasori and Hidan were only barely old enough to be considered adults, and they hardly ever drank.
Kakuzu, on the other hand, was an old hand. He saw that the boss hadn't ordered any and understood at once. It was normal for shinobi to abstain from alcohol.
Half an hour later, the four of them had finally finished eating.
The table was a mess of plates and cups. The server who had brought out the food had nearly run their legs off, a clear sign of how hard things had been for them lately.
"Boss, at a restaurant this fancy, a meal like this must've cost a pretty penny, right?" Hidan asked, picking his teeth.
All three of them were big eaters. Each of them ate as much as ten people!
With their hidden afflictions gone, their bodies' natural reserves were no longer being siphoned away by the Sage of Six Paths, so they instinctively needed to replenish their energy.
Hyuga Shin was a little surprised by Hidan's question. He thought it would've made more sense for Kakuzu to ask.
After all, Kakuzu was famous in the organization for loving money.
"It was all right. Only a hundred-odd thousand ryo," Hyuga Shin replied lazily.
"A hundred-odd thousand ryo! We spent that much on one meal! That's what I'd earn from an A-Rank Mission!"
"Boss, we can't waste money like this! The organization still has to grow, and we need money for everything!"
Kakuzu looked agitated. He was a perfect employee, always thinking of the organization first.
Sasori, standing beside him, was also dumbfounded. He was from the Land of Wind, but he had never been anywhere this ridiculous.
A meal had cost over a hundred thousand ryo!
"Oh? Kakuzu, you look like your heart's breaking." Hidan thought the meal must have been expensive, but he had no real sense of how much money that was.
"Ten thousand ryo is enough to offer two Chunin or one ordinary Jonin-level soul to your Evil God!"
Kakuzu knew Hidan well and explained it to him right away.
"Holy crap! We ate that much!" Hidan instantly grasped just how much money they had spent.
Sasori covered his face. He was exasperated by his two strange teammates' thought processes, and a little worried about Hyuga Shin's extravagance!
What if the organization went bankrupt before it achieved anything? Sasori grumbled inwardly.
"Boss, I've got about eighty million ryo. You can use it for the organization's expenses, but I ask that you don't waste money so extravagantly again."
Kakuzu shakily pulled out his bankbook and handed it to Hyuga Shin.
It represented decades of hard work!
But for the organization's ideals and grand ambitions, he was willing to give it up, even though his heart was aching.
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