"Whether it is displacement, dimensional folding, or pure, unparalleled speed, any of these can fracture the constraints of space. However, the exact variable of time remains entirely unconquered to this day. Legendary lore holds that the Ryūmyaku buried deep within the Land of Roran conceals the secrets of time itself. Yet, that falls completely outside the parameters of conventional Space-Time mechanics. What we define as Space-Time Ninjutsu does not genuinely govern the flow of time; rather, it utilizes high-velocity spatial translocation to project a flawless illusion of piercing through chronological barriers..."
Rin held a heavy tome on the theoretical blueprints of Space-Time mechanics, reading the complex text aloud in a clear, resonant voice.
Diarmuid reclined comfortably in the center courtyard, a steaming cup of tea resting securely between his fingers. He sipped his brew leisurely, soaking in the rhythmic cadence of her voice.
In absolute truth, he had already fully mastered these specific theories. Back when he was learning the Flying Raijin Technique, he had poured over a significant portion of these exact spatial mechanics.
However, he had chosen to systematically reevaluate his foundations from the absolute beginning this time, which was precisely why he had commissioned Rin to read these introductory scrolls aloud.
As things stood, Diarmuid's physical eyes remained completely devoid of sight. As for his ongoing Spiritualization, several days had ticked away with minimal overt progress; the transition was proving to be a deeply agonizing, drawn-out process.
Even so, he was in no hurry.
"Diarmuid-sama?" Rin chimed in, noticing the subtle shift in his focus.
Diarmuid didn't offer an immediate response. Catching his drifting awareness, Rin puffed out her cheeks in mild irritation, letting out a soft, huffy grunt before calling out again, "Diarmuid-sama? Are you even listening to me? I thought these theoretical blueprints were exceptionally vital to your master plan? Hello?"
"Ah... my apologies. My thoughts drifted to alternate matters for a brief moment," Diarmuid recalled his scattered focus, offering a warm nod in Rin's direction.
Even though his field of vision was a complete void, his chin aligned perfectly with her position.
Rin's annoyance deflated slightly, replaced by a wave of curiosity. "What exactly were you pondering so intensely?"
"I was merely thinking... that it is almost time for me to depart," Diarmuid murmured softly.
Rin blinked in surprise, her brow furrowing in confusion. "Depart? To where? Didn't you state just the other day that until your Spiritualization settles and your vision restores itself, you wouldn't be traveling anywhere?"
"I didn't mean that specific brand of departure. It's... well, don't mind me. Please, continue reading," Diarmuid chuckled softly, choosing not to elaborate further.
The departure echoing through his mind was a definitive exit from this entire dimension.
The final piece of his grand puzzle, the singular, specialized genetic power he coveted within this shinobi landscape, the Sharingan, was already resting securely inside his vessel.
The exact moment light returned to his blacked-out eyes would mark his absolute mastery over the Uchiha's ocular legacy.
Once that threshold was crossed, this world would hold absolutely zero remaining power sources worthy of his ambition.
The Power of the Six Paths?
Granted, that specific energy undoubtedly sat atop the absolute apex of this world's hierarchy.
Yet, no matter how many variables Diarmuid weighed, he consistently concluded that the Six Paths' power simply didn't align with his core blueprint.
To acquire the Six Paths' power, one either had to receive a direct divine manifestation and endowment from the Sage of Six Paths himself.
But seeing as Diarmuid was by no means the chakra reincarnation of one of the Sage's biological sons, that route was a complete dead end. Furthermore, even if the old phantom were willing to hand it over on a silver platter, Diarmuid wasn't entirely certain he would accept it anyway.
That specific energy felt remarkably predatory, and the underlying current was far too treacherous.
The alternative was to synthesize the essence of the Ten-Tails. Yet, the prospect of transforming into a Ten-Tails Jinchuriki felt entirely redundant to his ultimate progression.
Having successfully navigated through two distinct worlds to reach his current tier of absolute authority, Diarmuid could undeniably be classified as a supreme powerhouse.
The arduous journeys across those two realms had allowed him to forge his own distinct path to absolute supremacy.
And he had definitively chosen the foundation of the trail he had blazed step-by-step with his own hands.
That foundation was the absolute, primordial power of the Soul!
This ultimate choice manifested clearly across multiple facets of his arsenal.
For instance, out of every single asset he had accumulated throughout this shinobi landscape, the one he held in the absolute highest regard wasn't some high-tier Sage Mode, the legendary Wood Release, or even the newly acquired Sharingan.
Instead, it was that deceptively inconspicuous, low-profile Spirit Transformation Jutsu that commanded his deepest focus and absolute dedication.
By comparison, things like the Wood Release cells and the Sharingan, while undeniably magnificent and devastatingly potent assets, served a secondary purpose.
In truth, those additions were merely Diarmuid indulging his internal collector's habit. He desired to possess those iconic, visually striking abilities, but he had never once categorized them as the pillars of his ultimate existence.
It was highly analogous to how he had meticulously memorized a staggering repository of high-tier ninjutsu, yet rarely bothered to execute them in live combat.
Those techniques were categorized as general intellectual capital and raw versatility rather than essential components of his battle system.
The Spirit Transformation Jutsu, however, remained his absolute go-to mechanism.
This was his definitive declaration.
Right now, he was actively enduring the absolute pinnacle of that specific discipline, the total conversion of his entity via Spiritualization.
The Sharingan was already locked into his DNA.
Once this transition settled, he could potentially look into securing the power of the Shinigami lurking within the Pure Land. Even then, it wasn't an absolute necessity. If a seamless opportunity arose to siphon that essence without consequence, he would seize it without hesitation. But if the variable of risk proved excessive, he was perfectly content to let it slide.
Broadly speaking, he had already extracted every single asset of true value from this shinobi world.
Whatever remained was merely window dressing; if he could acquire it, fantastic. If not, it wouldn't disrupt his sleep in the slightest.
At the same time, reaching the zenith of the Spirit Transformation Jutsu meant Diarmuid had effectively maxed out his progression within the boundaries of this world's spiritual laws.
Once his total Spiritualization concluded, how exactly was he supposed to continue escalating his raw output? How was he to further refine the density of his soul energy? As things stood, he lacked a definitive roadmap.
This was largely due to the fact that within this specific universe, the absolute boundary separating life and death was incredibly porous, and the fundamental laws governing spiritual energy were remarkably primitive.
Consequently, extracting a higher-tier comprehension of pure soul dynamics within these borders was virtually impossible.
Attempting to rely purely on his own intellect to pioneer a higher domain of spiritual mechanics while bound to this world was a fundamentally flawed strategy. It wasn't a question of his individual capacity; rather, the environmental conditions were simply too inferior.
To put it plainly, if he remained within these borders, any attempt to ascend to a higher realm of spiritual mastery would be actively anchored down by the primitive rules of this universe.
Therefore, he truly needed to depart.
His next objective had to be a pristine, far grander universe, one where the cosmic laws separating life and death were absolute, where the spiritual framework was immaculately refined, and where a soul could truly find its proper anchor to pursue infinite evolution.
With that realization crystallizing in his mind, Diarmuid reevaluated his stance on the Shinigami's power. It appeared attempting to secure that specific essence was a vital necessity after all.
Whether he succeeded or failed, a definitive attempt had to be made.
This desire didn't stem from a craving for the entity's raw combat output. In terms of sheer destructive scale, the Shinigami wasn't particularly imposing. If that entity were somehow pulled into the living world, Diarmuid estimated he could completely dismantle it without breaking a sweat. It was strictly due to his consciousness being restricted while inside the Pure Land that he found himself at a natural disadvantage against the reaper.
The precise reason Diarmuid coveted the Shinigami's power was his intense fascination with its specialized capability to seal and anchor foreign souls securely within its own form.
This was a critical preparatory measure for his transition into the next universe.
Orochimaru was, without a shadow of a doubt, an irreplaceable, generational mind. Sasori matched that description flawlessly as well. Even figures like Kabuto, Jūzō, and Kakuzu, the core operatives anchoring the Yorozuya, were exceptionally high-tier assets.
If he could somehow transport this entire brain trust along with him to his next destination, it would be an absolute masterstroke.
The core issue, however, was that Diarmuid currently lacked the specific mechanics to execute cross-dimensional transport for others. If he possessed a mechanism to ferry passengers across the void, he would have brought Gion and the rest of his inner circle along when he first manifested in this shinobi world.
Back at the dawn of his arrival in this universe, Diarmuid had spent countless hours brainstorming a resolution to this specific restriction, yet had come up completely empty-handed.
But now... a subtle, brilliant strategy was beginning to take shape.
What if he successfully extracted the Shinigami's specialized technique, the ability to bind and warehouse foreign souls within his own spiritual entity?
He could then systematically house the souls of Orochimaru, Sasori, and his key loyalists directly inside his own soul structure.
Utilizing that specific configuration, wouldn't he effectively bypass the dimensional filter, ferrying their consciousnesses safely into the next universe?
This wasn't some wild, unfounded fantasy. On the contrary, from a purely theoretical standpoint, the plan possessed immense feasibility.
Because the true, unadulterated essence of an individual was their soul; the physical body was merely an interchangeable vehicle. So long as he could successfully migrate their core souls across the boundary, re-engineering a set of premier physical vessels for them upon arrival would be entirely within the realm of possibility.
Furthermore, based on his historical trajectory, he had already fully conquered the maritime landscape of One Piece, and was currently wrapping up his dominion over the shinobi world of Naruto.
Logically speaking... even if it didn't manifest as the immediate next world, it was highly probable that he would eventually intercept the universe of Shinigami, right?
Not the realm of this localized primitive Shinigami, but the true Shinigami of the Bleach world, the world governed by the Gotei 13 and the intricate mechanics of Soul Reapers (Shinigami).
Without a shred of doubt, that was a universe built upon an immensely superior, hyper-refined foundation of spiritual energy and power. The absolute soul-centric pathway Diarmuid was currently pioneering would find its perfect, undisputed alignment the moment he stepped foot into that realm.
Moreover, that world offered a far superior tier of challenge and raw adrenaline.
Within the boundaries of One Piece and Naruto, finding an opponent capable of pushing him to his absolute limits had become a virtual impossibility.
However, if he transitioned his current baseline strength into the world of Bleach, he would undeniably square off against an array of terrifyingly powerful entities. Those monstrous forces would inevitably subject him to an immense, crushing pressure, and that precise brand of pressure would act as the ultimate catalyst to force his evolution to the next tier!
Having stood unchallenged at the absolute summit of two separate universes through sheer grit and calculation, he possessed the unshakeable confidence of a true apex predator. He knew with absolute certainty that even within that deep, unfathomable universe of Shinigami, so long as he was granted a sufficient window of time, he would inevitably stand atop the absolute apex once more!
The moment that grand vision coalesced, Diarmuid felt an intense, burning impatience to breach the boundary into his next destination.
Ideally, that exact world of Shinigami!
...However, before I can even contemplate that leap, I must wait for this Spiritualization to run its course. Otherwise, even if I successfully intercept that universe, I likely won't even possess the baseline mechanics to infiltrate the Seireitei or anything of the sort. Unless I actively commit suicide upon arrival, I'd be restricted to merely wandering around the World of the Living as a hollow ghost. After all, the Seireitei is constructed entirely out of Spirit Particles... Furthermore, I don't even have the slightest clue which direction its gates face right now! Diarmuid mused internally, a dry smile forming within his mind.
Beyond those variables, the raw accumulation of Space-Time energy within his system had not yet reached the necessary critical mass.
He absolutely had to dedicate this upcoming window to thoroughly mastering the intricate spatial equations of this world, thereby generating a sufficient reservoir of dimensional energy to punch through the cosmic veil.
This strategy would undeniably demand a fixed block of time.
He would bide his time just a little longer. The moment every single variable was flawlessly aligned, he would unleash an absolute cataclysm upon this shinobi landscape, turning the entire world completely upside down in a spectacular final showcase before setting off to conquer his next grand horizon!
As Rin continued to read from the scroll, Diarmuid's mind remained completely immersed in his sweeping multi-dimensional blueprints.
Right at that moment, two distinct signatures stepped through the entrance of the central courtyard. One was Jūzō, the massive Executioner's Blade strapped securely across his back, while the other was the spectacled form of Kabuto.
Catching sight of Diarmuid deeply immersed in 'listening to his texts,' the two men demonstrated a tacit understanding, remaining perfectly silent as they halted near the entryway, waiting for an opening.
Though Diarmuid's physical sight was entirely offline, his sensory grid remained flawlessly operational. He raised a hand slightly, gesturing for Rin to pause her reading, before inquires with absolute composure, "What brings you two here together?"
Jūzō let out a low chuckle, scratching the back of his head in his characteristic, somewhat rugged fashion before explaining, "Boss, didn't you instruct us to completely dial back our profiles and remain underground for the foreseeable future? Because of that directive, Kakuzu and I temporarily dissolved our active field units. You know how that man is, he can't stand an idle minute, so he immediately ran off to resume his old bounty-hunting trade, acting as a premier body collector. I, on the other hand, had zero interest in mindless errands, so I've just been lounging around the village. It was only because I intercepted Kabuto delivering an urgent brief today that I tagged along."
"Oh? What specific brief could Kabuto possibly have brought that managed to pique your interest so heavily?" Diarmuid inquired smoothly.
"It concerns the internal situation within Kirigakure," Jūzō's expression tightened into complete seriousness.
Hearing this, Diarmuid turned his vacant, pitch-black gaze toward Kabuto, a trace of curiosity coloring his tone as he asked, "Since when did you start allocating intel assets toward Kirigakure? Has a significant variable manifested within their borders?"
"Allow me to clarify, Diarmuid-sama. Per your explicit instructions from last season, I have maintained a continuous, unblinking surveillance network on that entity Black Zetsu, as well as the operative masquerading under the alias of Uchiha Madara. Throughout this entire window, my intelligence eyes have never once relaxed their vigilance. Just a short while ago, our sensors intercepted a remarkably fascinating development. It appears those two specific entities are actively launching a covert campaign to systematically subjugate and engineer a coup within Kirigakure..." Kabuto smoothly adjusted the bridge of his glasses, delivering the brief with practiced precision.
Diarmuid paused briefly, genuine intrigue surfacing in his mind. "Is that so? What actionable data have we extracted? Let's hear the full breakdown."
What business could those two specific operators possibly have inside the Hidden Mist right now?
Is Obito finally triggering his long-awaited campaign of absolute vengeance against his old village?
Yet, looking at the overarching timeline, it doesn't entirely square up...
"Understood, Diarmuid-sama," Kabuto responded crisply, stepping forward to present his findings.
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