After preparing a specialized nutrient pod for Mumei, Shinji had her lie inside, entering a brief three-day slumber.
Though Mumei's body still retained a considerable degree of vitality, over a hundred years of sealing had nearly depleted every nutrient in her cells.
Despite appearing lively and energetic, Mumei was, in reality, at the end of her strength.
Thus, with the aid of the specially designed nutrient pod and a short-term slumber, it would take weeks, perhaps even months, to gradually acclimate her body to the unsealed state, fully eliminating the latent risks within her.
Thinking of this, Shinji glanced at Mumei, peacefully asleep in the nutrient pod.
"What a hegemonic dojutsu!"
He couldn't help but murmur in awe.
The numerous risks in Mumei's body seemed troublesome, but for anyone else, they would have died ten times over.
Take the middle-aged shinobi he had unearthed before—his strength wasn't inferior to Mumei's, yet upon being unsealed, he withered away in the wind, dying in confusion.
Mumei's ability to suppress the relentless erosion of time into mere latent risks was testament enough to the hegemony of 'Yachihoko.'
"No wonder the Uchiha clan back then treated Mumei as a weapon for their final battle, even going so far as to forcibly implant Mangekyo dojutsu like 'Amaterasu' and 'Tsukuyomi' into her body to enhance her power! 'Yachihoko' was truly worth such an investment!"
Initially, Shinji thought the Uchiha clan was utterly mad.
But as he deepened his understanding of 'Yachihoko,' he gradually realized the kind of temptation the Uchiha clan faced back then.
Mumei's 'Yachihoko' was an upgraded version of 'Jikibi' and 'Wazunagi.' If Mumei used 'Yachihoko' to link the entire Uchiha clan, it would be akin to granting the clan a super buff of shared chakra.
For certain powerful individuals, it was equivalent to having an inexhaustible supply of chakra—a significance that went without saying in wartime.
Turning back, Shinji's gaze fell on the data on the table.
This data, freshly measured by the instruments, showed that 'Yachihoko's' transmission efficiency had no upper limit.
This meant 'Yachihoko' could not only replenish chakra but also enhance the quality of the recipient's chakra! The mere thought of this possibility sent a thrill through Shinji.
Improving chakra quality had always been a challenge for him. He had tried every method, ultimately finding only the most straightforward solution: using the All Creation Power to fuse Yin and Yang, awakening the Rinnegan! If 'Yachihoko' could enhance chakra quality by increasing transmission rates, it would mean he had found a new way to improve chakra quality even after awakening the Rinnegan.
In the blink of an eye, three days passed.
During these three days, the village held a trust vote for the Jonin, and Tsunade, with unanimous approval, succeeded the injured and retired Third Hokage, becoming the Fifth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village.
Meanwhile, the Hidden Sand Village announced that Yagura would succeed the deceased Fourth Kazekage, becoming the Fifth Kazekage.
After Tsunade's Hokage inauguration ceremony, the village held a simple funeral to bid farewell to the shinobi who perished in the Chunin Exam battle.
The village didn't linger in sorrow, as everyone knew this battle was merely a halftime break. The upcoming clash would be a life-or-death struggle.
Thus.
To prepare for the decisive battle with the Akatsuki, the five great shinobi villages began a new round of mobilization.
The Fourth Raikage secretly returned to the Hidden Cloud Village to muster their shinobi forces, while the Third Tsuchikage hurried back to the Hidden Rock Village for full mobilization.
As for the Hidden Mist Village.
Due to the Fourth Mizukage's severe injuries, Terumi Mei temporarily assumed the role of Mizukage, while the Fourth Mizukage's whereabouts became a mystery, with no one knowing where he was hiding.
In an underground palace in the Land of Demons.
Nagato, Obito, and Konan were reviewing the results of this battle.
Konan said, "In this battle, we reclaimed the One-Tail, Two-Tails, and Seven-Tails. Combined with the Four-Tails, Five-Tails, and Six-Tails we already had, we're only missing the Three-Tails, Eight-Tails, and Nine-Tails!"
"Mm!"
Nagato and Obito nodded in unison.
This battle had indeed yielded significant gains, not only dealing a heavy blow to the five great shinobi villages but also securing three tailed beasts. If there was any shortfall, it was failing to capture the Nine-Tails as well.
Konan continued, "According to intelligence, the Fourth Mizukage, the Three-Tails Jinchuriki, has temporarily stepped down from his position, suggesting he's gravely injured! The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is just an eleven- or twelve-year-old boy, nothing to worry about. So, our only obstacle is the Hidden Cloud's Eight-Tails Jinchuriki!"
Obito nodded slightly. "That guy is indeed troublesome!"
After several encounters, Killer Bee's strength had proven to be a headache for them.
Konan frowned. "And the stance of 'A' and his group is highly suspicious. If they hadn't interfered this time, Hiruko and Ranmaru could have brought back the Nine-Tails too!"
Nagato looked at Obito. "Haven't you found any clues about that group?"
Obito shook his head slightly.
Everything was proceeding steadily according to his plan, with the only variable being the mysterious group led by 'A.'
What unsettled him most was that no matter how much he investigated, he couldn't uncover 'A's true identity.
This time, Hiruko and Ranmaru had brought back another piece of news: 'A' seemed to possess the same Rinnegan as Nagato.
If before it was mere concern, this revelation was like a bolt from the blue. Not only Obito but even Zetsu felt uneasy.
Seeing Obito's silence, Konan said, "For now, we can only treat them as enemies and prepare contingencies!"
Obito nodded. "That's all we can do!"
Konan glanced at Nagato. "Nagato, you lost several of your 'Six Paths of Pain' this time. Should we replenish them?"
Nagato nodded. "Mm!"
Konan said, "I'll give the order to prepare the bodies!"
"No need!" Nagato paused before saying slowly, "I plan to use the bodies of the Two-Tails, Four-Tails, Five-Tails, Six-Tails, and Seven-Tails Jinchuriki to create a new 'Six Paths of Pain.'"
Obito was taken aback. "What?"
Nagato explained, "We have many enemies, and we can't directly revive the Ten-Tails yet. So, we must convert the tailed beasts we've captured into combat strength. You understand this, right?"
Faced with Nagato's intense gaze, Obito could only relent. "Fine!"