The meeting ended, and Shinji stood up, preparing to leave.
At this moment, Uchiha Hikari chased after him and called out, "Shinji!"
Shinji asked, "What's wrong?"
Hikari looked at Shinji intently. "Shinji, I don't know why, but you seem to have suddenly changed!"
"Changed?"
Shinji was baffled.
Hikari said, "I don't know how to explain it either. In short, 'Yachihoko' shouldn't be deceiving me!"
"Yachihoko, huh..."
Shinji lowered his head in thought.
'Yachihoko' is a dojutsu that can connect individuals. If he indeed had undergone some change, Hikari could definitely perceive it through 'Yachihoko'.
Immediately, he carefully sorted through what he had done recently.
His encounter with Urashiki was the first point of suspicion, after all, it involved the convergence of timelines. Following that was his use of 'Susanoo Tomoshibi' to fuse the Golden Eyes containing 'Kamimusubi', and finally, his retracing of time and traveling through the river of time.
"Urashiki used 'Karasuki' to reverse time and ambush me. I was the one passively responding to the battle, so the impact on me should be minimal!"
Shinji shook his head, secretly ruling out this item.
"Although the pupil power of the 'Golden Eye' is strong, my current power is far greater than before. A pair of 'Golden Eyes' shouldn't be able to overwhelm the host..."
Next, Shinji ruled out the second item.
Shinji had always been very careful in this regard. For instance, he knew that the chakra level of Eida's 'Senrigan' must be very high, possibly even surpassing his own 'Six Tomoe Rinnegan', but he had never entertained the thought of subjugating the 'Senrigan'.
The reason was that he worried the 'Senrigan' might turn the tables and affect his pupil power and consciousness.
After all, the dojutsu of 'Senrigan' originated from Shibai Otsutsuki, who possessed 'Shinjutsu', and Shinji suspected that Shibai Otsutsuki was already a 'Kekkei Shinra' above 'Kekkei Mora'.
Using the weak to control the strong, especially when the strong was a dimension higher than oneself, anything could happen. After all, no one currently knew whether Shibai Otsutsuki was dead or alive, or in what form he existed.
Therefore, Shinji not only maintained extremely high vigilance against Shibai Otsutsuki's power himself but also strictly forbade his trusted aides from touching Shibai Otsutsuki's power.
So even though the Research Institute had made considerable progress in the study of 'Shinjutsu', and there were living examples like Eida, Daemon, Zabuza, and Orochimaru who became stronger by stealing Shibai Otsutsuki's power, Shinji still did not let Yakumo, Haku, or Neji, Kimimaro, Ryuzetsu, Chino—trusted subordinates with limited potential—steal Shibai Otsutsuki's power.
In the final analysis, it was to guard against Shibai Otsutsuki playing dead!
However, the 'Golden Eye' was different. It originated from the power of Momoshiki and Kinshiki. Its chakra power level was lower than Shinji's. With Shinji being the stronger one controlling the weaker, there wouldn't be big problems.
"Could it be that traveling the river of time caused a change in me..."
After ruling out the first two items, Shinji found that the only thing left that could cause a change in him was his recent journey through the river of time.
Thinking carefully, Shinji vaguely had a realization.
Reminded by Hikari, he discovered that after traveling the river of time, his mindset had indeed undergone some changes.
This change was like playing a game he had been struggling to beat, suddenly getting a cheat device, and subsequently, his attitude towards the game changed, becoming more casual.
Shinji was now in a somewhat similar situation.
After realizing that he had touched the true core of the Shinjutsu 'Omnipotence', and after reviewing history, possessing the ability to intervene and change history, his mindset subtly changed. His perspective became broader, and his vantage point higher.
Or rather, in Shinji's consciousness, the proportion of divinity was increasing, and the proportion of humanity was decreasing.
He became increasingly indifferent to individual lives and increasingly ignored others' opinions.
Seeing Shinji frowning tightly, Hikari whispered from the side, "Shinji, are you okay?"
"I'm fine!"
Shinji shook his head with a smile.
Hikari hurriedly said, "Shinji, don't overthink it. Maybe there's a problem with my 'Yachihoko'."
"No, the problem is on my side." Pausing, Shinji said seriously, "Your reminder was very timely!"
As his strength increased, as he grew accustomed to life and death, and even accustomed to the annihilation of entire worlds, Shinji's heart became harder and more indifferent.
He hadn't realized this hidden danger before, but now reminded by Hikari, he was suddenly awakened!
If this continued, perhaps in ten years, perhaps twenty, his humanity would diminish more and more. He would slowly become driven solely by benefits, and finally, very likely become a monster like the Hegemon who only knew how to pursue power.
Thinking of this, Shinji couldn't help but sigh secretly, "Perhaps before becoming Hegemons, they were like me, possessing emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, understanding the grief of parting and the joy of reunion!"
Hikari still looked worried. "Shinji, I know the burden on you is heavy, but don't worry, we will always be by your side!"
Shinji smiled. "Okay!"
Hikari continued, "If there's anything I can help with, you must tell me!"
Shinji thought for a moment and said, "Regarding the 'change', I'll trouble you to pay more attention in the future. This is very important to me!"
Hikari nodded heavily. "Rest assured!"
Hikari's existence gave Shinji a chance to redeem himself!
Because Shinji realized that in the process of becoming stronger, the loss of humanity would inevitably accompany it. This was unavoidable. Because when you can decide life and death with a single word, it is difficult to maintain restraint, respect, and even concession.
In this situation, humanity will drain away bit by bit, and divinity will increase day by day.
And Hikari's 'Yachihoko' could not only record dojutsu and chakra but also record images and emotions at the time.
So Hikari was like an anchor, able to anchor Shinji's humanity, preventing him from completely letting go of himself in the process of gradually becoming stronger.
Of course, ensuring that humanity is not lost is a systemic problem, not something one or two dojutsu can completely solve. But right now, Shinji couldn't care about these things. Compared to losing humanity, the survival of the Shinobi World was the crucial matter.
So after bidding farewell to Hikari, Shinji immediately went to Urashiki Otsutsuki's temporary cell.
When traveling the river of time, he had thought about Urashiki's pair of Blue Rinnegan. Because the Blue Rinnegan was unique in the Shinobi World, its chakra characteristics must be different from the Kaguya Otsutsuki lineage's dojutsu. So without thinking, he knew that using 'Susanoo Tomoshibi' to subjugate it would definitely yield a considerable pupil power amplification.
Whoosh...
Without any nonsense, under Urashiki's horrified expression, Shinji took action and gouged out Urashiki's eyes...