Six Paths Tools

For the next two days, Richard wandered around Konoha at his leisure. He visited the famous Ichiraku Ramen, but after trying it, found the taste merely average. He also stood atop Hokage Rock and looked down over all of Konoha. Without those ninjas leaping across rooftops, and with a few more cars on the streets, it would have been nothing more than a large rural town.

It was impossible to hide the fact that Danzo had hit a wall with him, and even more impossible to conceal Root's heavy losses. One should never underestimate the intelligence networks of Konoha's ninja clans.

In any case, the Uchiha Clan, which had originally been eager to make contact with Richard, had restrained itself. While celebrating Danzo's losses, they also slowed their plans to approach Richard, deciding to wait and see.

The other ninja clans had not been particularly interested in contacting him to begin with, and now they had abandoned the idea entirely. Richard was too strong—stronger than they had expected.

Nor did he do anything excessively provocative toward Sarutobi Hiruzen, such as approaching Naruto Uzumaki or Sasuke Uchiha.

In any case, he had already gained enough from the Root base. He had collected most of Konoha's Ninjutsu, Sealing Techniques, Barrier Techniques, and the secret arts passed down through the major clans.

That reincarnation secret technique resembling Karma was a feature unique to this world. The old Sage of Six Paths already controlled the Pure Land of the underworld, so arranging for his two sons to reincarnate was effortless. But it would not be so simple in other worlds.

Unless those worlds also possessed the concept of reincarnation and someone held the Authority of Reincarnation, one would have to establish a good relationship with organizations like the Underworld Bureau.

Richard did not study it any further.

That day, Richard decided to leave Konoha.

"Why do you still want to follow me?" Richard asked helplessly as he looked at Tsunade, who was preparing to come along.

Shouldn't you stay in Konoha, run for Fifth Hokage, fight Sarutobi Hiruzen for power, reform Konoha, and dominate the Ninja World? Why were you coming to discuss the situation in the Ninja World with me instead? Were you that bored?

"It's too troublesome. I don't want to do it. If someone becomes the Fifth Hokage in the future, I can just teach the Fifth Hokage what you told me.

"Besides, there are so many hidden secrets in the Ninja World. Who knows how many powerful people are lurking out there? You people never tell us anything. I'm afraid that once Konoha grows stronger, it'll accidentally kick an iron plate and get wiped out. It's better for it to remain half-dead like it is now," Tsunade said. She understood what he meant.

"Fine, do as you like." Richard turned and left Konoha.

Tsunade and Shizune followed close behind. The Anbu trailed after them at an unhurried pace, while spies from the various clans and even other hidden villages watched from the shadows.

But as long as they did not flaunt themselves in front of Richard, he ignored them all.

Not long after leaving Konoha, the group vanished, and every spy lost track of them.

Richard used Genjutsu to conceal their trail. As long as he did not wish to be found, no one could find him.

After more than a month of developments, their actions in Amegakure had long since come to the attention of the major hidden villages. Although they had not discovered exactly what had happened, they all knew that Hanzo, the leader of Amegakure, had been killed, and that the entire village had fallen under the control of a mysterious organization known as Akatsuki.

Previously, because Nagato controlled Amegakure, the major hidden villages had been unable to obtain accurate intelligence from there. They had not even known that Hanzo was already dead, believing that Amegakure was still under his control.

The ninjas of Amegakure had seen Richard's group confront Akatsuki, and Akatsuki vanished after the battle.

Spies from the major hidden villages flooded in. Through various channels, they uncovered the information Akatsuki had previously concealed and learned that Richard's group had gone there and defeated Akatsuki.

Thus, the major hidden villages were paying considerable attention to Richard's group, and after Danzo's devastating losses, Konoha was especially focused on them.

Yet no matter how the major hidden villages investigated, they could not find any trace of Richard.

While the major hidden villages remained unaware, Richard's group arrived at Kumogakure.

"What is there in Kumogakure that caught your eye this time? The Fourth Raikage has only been in office for a few years, but he isn't someone to be trifled with," Tsunade said.

"Nothing much. I came to study the tools made by the Sage of Six Paths." Though the tools left behind by the Sage of Six Paths were not especially powerful, their functions were highly unusual, carrying something of the flavor of magical treasures from myth and legend.

The Amber Purifying Pot captured anyone who answered when their name was called. It was somewhat like Taishang Laojun's Purple-Gold Gourd.

The Seven-Star Sword could sever and curse an opponent's Spirit Speech.

Anyone touched by the Golden Rope would speak the word or phrase they used most often.

The Crimson Gourd could store the Spirit Speech severed by the Seven-Star Sword. If the enemy spoke that Spirit Speech again, they would be sucked into the Crimson Gourd.

The Seven-Star Sword, Golden Rope, and Crimson Gourd could be used as a set.

The Basho Fan could unleash Chakra attacks of the five attributes: wind, fire, water, earth, and lightning.

These miraculous tools seemed rather impractical, but their mechanisms were far too peculiar. Naturally, Richard had come to study them and learn the Sage of Six Paths' crafting methods.

"You mean those treasures from Kinkaku and Ginkaku's clan? Were they really made by the Sage of Six Paths? I thought Kinkaku and Ginkaku were just boasting." Tsunade knew quite a bit about the two. Their rebellion had led to the death of her second grandfather in battle.

But Kinkaku and Ginkaku had died long ago, and those Six Paths Tools had already fallen into Kumogakure's hands.

"Let's go, then. I'd also like to see the legendary Six Paths Tools for myself." Tsunade was somewhat gleeful. As long as Konoha was not the one suffering, anyone else would do.

The group concealed their tracks and entered Kumogakure. Then Richard used Genjutsu to hypnotize an elite jonin of considerable status and learned the location of the treasury.

It did not take much effort for Richard to obtain the batch of Six Paths Tools. He also picked up some of Kumogakure's secret Ninjutsu, such as their treasured Lightning Release Body Strengthening Technique. Whether they were useful or not, Richard copied them all.

Afterward, outside Kumogakure, he analyzed all of the tools. Although there were some aspects he did not fully understand, those involved the fundamental application of Chakra energy. He had figured out everything else. After all, these were merely the Sage of Six Paths' early works. At that time, even his use of Yin-Yang Release had not been particularly advanced.

Richard then left those tools with the Slug Sage.

To them, these things were merely trinkets, notable only for their novelty. Once analyzed, they were of little use. They certainly could not be relied upon in battle.

Still, the peculiar space that confined and suppressed enemies was quite interesting. Richard felt that he could imitate it and create similar tools in the future.

The materials of the Amber Purifying Pot and Crimson Gourd were far too poor. Even though the Sage of Six Paths' refining methods had been rather exquisite and had nearly brought out every property of the materials, they probably could not handle particularly powerful enemies. But Richard had plenty of excellent materials on hand. He could put that idea into practice.