Under the sunlight, two figures, fast as blurring shadows, shuttled through the forest and mountains, speeding towards the Research Institute.
After a long time, they stopped at the battlefield where Orochimaru and Yamada Juichi had fought before.
One of them asked curiously: "Eh, what happened here?"
The other stopped and looked around: "The overturned soil on the ground is still fresh. This mountain range must have collapsed not long ago!"
The person who asked scratched his head: "Such a large area of mountains, perfectly fine, how could it collapse suddenly? Did an earthquake happen here?"
His companion said speechlessly: "Naruto, you really are an idiot! If an earthquake happened here, those buildings in the distance wouldn't be preserved so well!"
Undoubtedly, the ones speeding all the way to the Research Institute were none other than Naruto and Sasuke, who were entrusted to the Sage of Six Paths by Shinji.
After more than half a year of cultivation, they finally completed the training tasks assigned by the Sage of Six Paths and returned to the Shinobi World.
Following Sasuke's gaze, Naruto looked at the distant complex of buildings: "Really, the buildings over there are intact. Looks like it wasn't an earthquake!"
"Of course not an earthquake!" Pausing, Sasuke snorted lightly: "If I'm not mistaken, the collapse of this mountain range is due to a battle."
Naruto was surprised: "Battle?!"
Sasuke said: "Correct, a battle between strong individuals of the same level as us!"
Swish swish...
Just then, accompanied by two sounds of breaking wind, Yakumo and Haku descended from the sky and landed in front of Sasuke and Naruto.
Yakumo asked: "Sasuke, Naruto? Didn't you go with the Sage of Six Paths for training?"
Naruto looked proud: "We have already completed the training tasks arranged by Grandpa Six Paths!"
Hearing this, Haku asked happily: "Have you two successfully advanced to 'Six Paths Level'?"
Before Naruto could answer, Sasuke, with one hand on his hip, condensed a 'Truth-Seeking Ball': "Of course!"
Then, Naruto also condensed a 'Truth-Seeking Ball' and smiled: "Look!"
"'Truth-Seeking Ball'!"
Haku's eyes lit up.
The 'Truth-Seeking Ball' could be said to be the symbol of the 'Six Paths Level', because the core requirement for condensing a 'Truth-Seeking Ball' is mastering the 'Power of All Creation', fusing the seven chakra natures of Yin, Yang, and the five elements together to condense a 'Truth-Seeking Ball'.
So the experimental subjects created by the Research Institute through rituals, strictly speaking, could only be considered to possess 'Six Paths Level' combat power, not truly being 'Six Paths Level'.
Looking at the 'Truth-Seeking Balls' condensed by Sasuke and Naruto, Yakumo sighed gently: "Still left behind by you guys!"
After learning that Sasuke and Naruto followed the Sage of Six Paths for training, Yakumo knew that she might lose to Sasuke and Naruto in the competition to become 'Six Paths Level'. But she didn't give up. During this time, she had been training hard, hoping to catch up with and surpass Sasuke and Naruto.
Now seeing Sasuke and Naruto already become 'Six Paths Level', although somewhat unwilling in her heart, she had to admit she lost.
Seemingly sensing Yakumo's desolation, the usually arrogant Sasuke rarely said to Yakumo: "Hey, you've suppressed us for so long, it's about time we surpassed you once!"
Naruto nodded heavily: "Yeah, Yakumo, you hid the fact that you are Akatsuki's 'D' from me for so long. I haven't settled the score with you yet; a meal of grilled meat is indispensable!"
"Fine, this meal of grilled meat is on me!"
Yakumo smiled, her mood improving significantly.
Naruto looked at Haku again: "Haku, you owe me a meal of grilled meat too!"
Haku nodded repeatedly: "Okay, okay, okay!"
After joking a few sentences, the group of peers quickly eliminated the strangeness of not seeing each other for more than half a year and became familiar with each other.
At this time, Sasuke asked Yakumo and Haku: "What's going on with this area? Was it caused by someone fighting?"
"Speaking of which, it should be considered a test accident."
So Yakumo recounted the battle between Orochimaru and Yamada Juichi in detail to Sasuke and Naruto.
Hearing that it was Orochimaru and a wanted criminal named Yamada Juichi who collapsed this mountain range, Sasuke immediately showed an eager expression on his face: "It seems your Research Institute has come up with quite a few interesting things during this time!"
Naruto clicked his tongue: "Were these mountains really smashed by fists?"
Haku nodded slightly: "Yes, after being strengthened by the ritual, experimental subjects like Orochimaru and Yamada Juichi possess 'Six Paths Level' combat power. Every move has the power to move mountains and overturn seas. They only fought for a moment back then, and this mountain range was mostly destroyed."
"'Six Paths Level' combat power? Hmph!"
Sasuke snorted lightly.
After more than half a year of cultivation, following the legendary Sage of Six Paths, shedding unknown amounts of sweat and enduring hardships to become 'Six Paths Level', he didn't believe a mere ritual could turn a wanted criminal into 'Six Paths Level'.
Yakumo asked: "By the way, why did you suddenly come to the Research Institute?"
Sasuke said: "I went back to the fortress. There's nothing going on there for the time being, so I wanted to come over and take a look!"
Yakumo frowned: "Does the Lord know?"
Sasuke smiled: "Haven't had time to report yet, but we're just here to look. It won't affect the Research Institute's research!"
Yakumo nodded slightly: "It's not a bad thing for you two to come to the Research Institute. The rituals create experimental subjects with 'Six Paths Level' combat power batch by batch, but none of these subjects are good guys. Haku and I have very limited constraints on them, making the Research Institute a mess during this time!"
Sasuke was stunned: "Is there such a thing?"
Haku said: "The Research Institute has indeed been somewhat chaotic recently. mainly because we failed the Lord's trust and couldn't suppress those experimental subjects."
With the enrichment of combat experience, the increasingly seasoned Haku and Yakumo were now solidly Super Kage-level combat power. But even so, they were still somewhat lacking when facing 'Six Paths Level' combat power. So whether it was Owl before or Yamada Juichi later, neither feared the two of them much.
Currently, the ones truly responsible for suppressing the experimental subjects in the Research Institute were actually Orochimaru and the siblings Eida and Daemon.
What caused all this was naturally Shinji's heartfelt apprehension towards Shinjutsu. That was why he isolated his direct subordinates from Shinjutsu research, only sending Yakumo and Haku to guard the Research Institute, responsible for daily monitoring and communication work.
Of course, this also led to the Akatsuki organization's control over the Research Institute declining rapidly with the rapid expansion of the Research Institute's strength.
Sasuke patted Haku's shoulder, smiling confidently: "Don't worry, we are here!"
"En!"
Naruto also nodded along. He actually didn't quite understand the situation at the Research Institute yet, but he habitually stood by Sasuke's side.