Chapter 144: The Sage’s Gambit

Above the moon, Shin sat across from the Sage of Six Paths, his expression focused as they engaged in a game of shogi.

After a prolonged exchange of moves, the Sage finally sighed, abandoning his position and admitting defeat.

"It's really no fun playing shogi with you," the Sage muttered, rolling his eyes. "There's no sense of intuition; it's all pure computing power crushing an old man's mind."

Shin chuckled. "Senior, you've lived for thousands of years. If I didn't rely on the computing power from the chip in my brain, playing against you with just my natural skill would be pretty one-sided—and not in my favor."

He added, "Besides, the chip's computing functions activate automatically. As soon as I see the board, it starts calculating thousands of moves. Call it an unusual kind of talent."

The Sage snorted. "People today can't even ask a senior to play shogi without using electronic chips. It's not enjoyable! This is blatant cheating!"

"But I won," Shin replied, grinning as he extended his hand. "We agreed you'd teach me how to condense the Truth-Seeking Balls if I won. Don't back out now."

"Fine, fine! Take it all!" The Sage materialized a glowing ball of chakra from within himself, placing it in Shin's hand. Shin absorbed the memory and experience held within the chakra, taking in the complex technique.

After a moment, Shin extended his hand, focusing his chakra. A dark, spherical Truth-Seeking Ball slowly formed in his palm.

Yet, this Truth-Seeking Ball was somewhat different—it was less stable and lacked certain qualities. Shin realized it wasn't about the quantity of chakra; instead, his Otsutsuki bloodline, though potent, wasn't pure enough. He could only generate about three-quarters of a standard Truth-Seeking Ball, even with considerable effort.

Still, when it came to the Truth-Seeking Balls, having them in any capacity was better than not at all. While having more balls provided certain advantages, it didn't grant an absolute edge over those with fewer.

This particular condition formed the basis of their bet. Otherwise, Shin would never have relied on the chip's computing power to win, feeling it might have been excessive.

"Thank you!" Shin smiled and added, "Elder, do you have any updates on the items I requested?"

"I've gathered nearly all the materials. Your specialized abilities are remarkable—they make processing and synthesizing these items far easier. Once I finish the design, I can help you create them."

The Sage scratched his head thoughtfully. "I still haven't quite figured out how to make a weapon that doesn't require chakra activation. Who exactly do you plan to use it for?"

Without replying, Shin reached into a black mist and retrieved a small chip from his dimensional space, offering it to the Sage.

"Here's the computer chip you asked for," he said.

Their shogi match had held stakes on both sides: Truth-Seeking Balls for the Sage and an electronic chip for Shin. Now that he'd gained what he wanted, Shin had no issue offering the chip, especially as it would aid the Sage in designing advanced ninja tools.

For Shin, creating the hardware of this chip was simple. As long as he had sufficient materials, he could synthesize and reshape them using his Munch-Munch Fruit ability, duplicating the chip's hardware exactly like the one implanted in his own brain.

The software inside was managed by his AI, Red Queen. Thus, producing such items in bulk was feasible for Shin, though he limited distribution, knowing that rare tools carried higher value. Moreover, if everyone had such chips, the computing capacity in the virtual space would be wasted.

Eyeing the chip in Shin's hand, the Sage's eyes lit up, and he took it eagerly.

Clearly, the Sage of Six Paths stood at the apex of the chakra system. Even the Otsutsuki clan, with their powerful bloodlines and the strength they gained from consuming chakra fruits, might not surpass him in wisdom. Having absorbed the essence of all ninja knowledge over the centuries, the Sage's understanding of chakra was unmatched.

Thus, any chakra-based advancements Shin achieved held limited appeal for the Sage. But the technology from the other world—the Devil Fruits and Shin's implanted chip—couldn't be duplicated at all.

Only the tech from Red Queen and the chip implanted in Shin's brain piqued the Sage's interest.

Unfazed by potential risks, the Sage affixed the chip to the back of his head, knowing his abilities would quickly integrate it. Even if the chip somehow malfunctioned, he could regenerate his body with Yang chakra.

"This is remarkable! I feel every muscle cell in my body, and my mind operates thousands of times faster. No wonder you're unbeatable at shogi," the Sage marveled, closing his eyes to savor the new sensation before opening them again.

"Alright, time to create something for you! I just finished crafting the Lunar Mirror, and my hands are still itching to work."

The Sage left to begin his work, leaving Shin on the moon. Feeling the chill, Shin closed his eyes and synchronized with the Tenseigan, connecting to the virtual space.

It had been over a year since the virtual space was fully established, and the Akatsuki organization had become the unseen ruler of the world.

As Shin had anticipated, the virtual space spurred an astonishing evolution worldwide. The entire population was moving toward a collective mindset of advancing their chakra abilities. Nearly everyone, except for the newly born, possessed chakra to some degree.

The progress of the five major ninja villages was even more extraordinary. As members of the Akatsuki, they held special privileges, such as access to personal training grounds with altered time flow in the virtual space. They also had access to computational resources from the Red Queen, advanced ninjutsu experiments, and theoretical knowledge previously unattainable. Additionally, the ability to transfer thoughts and memories was exclusive to Akatsuki members.

Many ninjas aligned themselves with Shin to secure more benefits, effectively making him the leader of the world's hidden power structure.

However, Shin preferred to stay out of direct control, entrusting resource distribution to Terumi Mei and the original Akatsuki team.

After all, with ultimate authority over the virtual space and unmatched strength, Shin wasn't concerned about potential rivals.

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