After saying goodbye to Kaoru Kusaino and leaving the hospital, Shinji discreetly checked on Neji and Kimimaro's conditions.
During the Chunin Exam battle, Neji and Kimimaro had used their Tenseigan, but only briefly and while avoiding detection by the giant Tenseigan on the moon, so no issues had arisen.
In the days following the battle, both had kept a low profile.
Neji rarely left the Hyuga clan grounds, spending his time training in taijutsu.
Kimimaro also stayed indoors, with his only contact with an outsider being a secret meeting with Yakushi Kabuto, who approached him to plan Orochimaru's rescue.
Of course, since no suitable opportunity had presented itself, Kabuto's rescue plan was temporarily shelved.
This was understandable. Orochimaru was an S-rank rogue shinobi, and in this battle, he had used the forbidden Edo Tensei to summon the deceased First and Second Hokages from the underworld. Both the severity of his crimes and the threat he posed to the village had reached new heights, so the village's surveillance of him was extremely tight.
Not even Kabuto, nor Danzo—who had regained some of his authority as an advisor elder—could free Orochimaru.
After contacting Kimimaro, Kabuto hurriedly left Hidden Leaf, likely to seek other rescue methods.
In the evening, after eating a bowl of ramen at a street stall, Shinji returned to his apartment.
After a quick wash, he sat at his desk, propping his head with one hand while gazing at Hidden Leaf's nightscape, pondering his next steps.
Months had passed, and he wasn't sure if the Demon Slayer world still existed.
Though the Hegemon of Terror hadn't yet attacked the shinobi world, Shinji had a gut feeling that it was drawing closer.
"At the very least, I need to reach the 'Six Paths level' to have even a slim chance of facing the Hegemon head-on!"
Shinji assessed in his mind.
Having witnessed the Hegemon's power, he knew an entire world was merely a meal to it. To stand a chance against it, one would need the power to destroy a world.
Yet even Kaguya Otsutsuki, with her Bloodline Limit, hadn't managed to destroy the shinobi world despite months of battling the Six Paths-level brothers, Hagoromo and Hamura Otsutsuki. This showed that destroying a world wasn't as easy as it seemed!
In other words, the Six Paths level was the minimum threshold for destroying a world. Failing to reach it meant not even touching that threshold.
That said, ascending to the Six Paths level was no easy feat.
Shinji had schemed for so long, finally awakening the Rinnegan and becoming a notable figure in the shinobi world, yet he was still far from the Six Paths level.
"Is there a path forward?"
Shinji silently asked himself.
Unlike before, when he had the clear goal of awakening the Rinnegan, now that he had achieved it, he found himself lost.
He no longer knew how to further increase his strength.
Between the peak of Kage-level and the Six Paths level lay an unfathomable chasm. Aside from reviving the Ten-Tails and risking becoming its jinchuriki, he couldn't think of any way to cross that gap.
Sigh "The Ten-Tails…"
He let out a breath.
Leaving aside the difficulty of seizing the Ten-Tails from the Akatsuki, even if he succeeded and became its jinchuriki, he'd face the risk of Kaguya Otsutsuki hijacking his body.
In the original timeline, Uchiha Madara, as the Ten-Tails jinchuriki, was the undisputed strongest in the shinobi world.
Yet even he, a peerless powerhouse, fell to a simple sneak attack by Black Zetsu, losing control of his body entirely. His chakra and body were sacrificed to revive Kaguya Otsutsuki.
The waters here were too deep, and every time Shinji thought about it, a chill ran through him.
He couldn't determine whether Madara's failure was due to Black Zetsu's deadly ambush or if becoming the Ten-Tails jinchuriki inherently carried unpredictable risks.
He recalled how the Sage of the Six Paths had split the Ten-Tails into two parts—body and soul—sealing the body as the Gedo Statue on the moon and dividing the soul into the nine tailed beasts.
If the Sage wasn't wary of something, it was hard to explain why he fragmented the Ten-Tails so thoroughly!
Shinji had been avoiding this issue—not because he didn't foresee the danger, but because, aside from the Ten-Tails, he couldn't think of another way to reach the Six Paths level.
He had considered alternatives, like Hiruko's Bloodline Fusion Ritual.
However, Hiruko's ritual had clear flaws, limiting its potential.
This was proven true.
Both Hiruko and Ranmaru, who underwent the Bloodline Fusion Ritual, reached Kage-level strength, even strong Kage-level.
But that was it—they couldn't cross the chasm to the Six Paths level.
As for perfecting Hiruko's ritual, if Shinji had twelve or twenty years, he might try, but he didn't have that kind of time.
Yet, in this critical moment, fate brought Mumei into his life.
Mumei's Yachihoko offered a new path—a new hope for reaching the Six Paths level without becoming the Ten-Tails jinchuriki.
This was exactly why Shinji, once so resolute, now felt uncertain. A new road had appeared before him!
Compared to becoming the Ten-Tails jinchuriki, this path was undoubtedly safer.
But unlike the guaranteed Six Paths ascension from becoming the jinchuriki, this new path's outcome was unpredictable with his current abilities. He might toil for nothing.
"No matter what, I'll boost my strength as much as I can!"
After weighing his options, Shinji made his decision.
Investing in Yachihoko might not guarantee the Six Paths level, but he was certain it would enhance his strength.
At his current level, every bit of improvement was incredibly difficult, no longer achievable through training alone.
If he ultimately had to become the Ten-Tails jinchuriki, having a bit more strength would give him a better chance of self-preservation when things went wrong.