Enhancing the amplification effect on a shinobi through environmental adjustment is actually a very delicate task; it isn't as simple as making numerical values as extreme as possible.
Therefore, with the cooperation of Haku, Shinji adjusted the settings over a thousand times before finally calibrating the optimal combat environment for Haku.
After these thousand-plus adjustments, the ice lake had undergone a massive transformation.
Cold winds blew in gusts over the lake, but the surface was not completely frozen solid. Instead, icebergs of varying sizes drifted across it. The surrounding ice plains, which originally stretched endlessly, had turned into undulating glaciers.
The ice lake was not completely frozen because there was a deep abyss at the bottom reaching into the earth; this abyss was reserved for the later installation of a reinforcement spike. Because of its existence, warm currents from the ley lines surged upward, keeping the ice lake vivid rather than letting it become a rigid block of ice.
The concentration of nature energy was also fine-tuned.
Nature energy that is too intense can interfere with environmental stability, so Shinji performed appropriate optimizations, increasing the area of high-concentration nature energy while tapering the overall density.
Once the calibration was complete, Shinji said to Haku: "This place will become one of the nine critical nodes guarding the Shinobi World, and you are the guard I have chosen to station here!"
Haku's heart shook violently: "Leader, I... can I really do it?"
Although he had guessed some of this during the tedious adjustments just now, he was still somewhat apprehensive upon hearing Shinji entrust him with such a heavy responsibility.
In the Akatsuki and the Research Institute, there were many whose strength surpassed his; he couldn't believe Shinji would hand such an important task to him.
Shinji said in a deep voice: "I believe you can!"
Haku was first stunned, but then his gaze became firm: "Please rest assured, I will guard this place to the death!"
Shinji stepped forward and patted Haku's shoulder: "I'm counting on you!"
Stationing Haku—who was not a Six Paths level—at a critical node was not a spur-of-the-moment decision; Shinji had actually planned something similar for a while.
Among the combat forces he currently held, those he could fully trust were only the three Kekkei Mora: Hikari, Karin, and the recently recruited Kaguya Otsutsuki, as well as the six Six Paths level assets: Shion, Sasuke, Naruto, Toneri, Neji, and Kimimaro.
As for Eida and Daemon, they possessed Shinjutsu and were functionally Six Paths level combatants, but precisely because of those Shinjutsu, Shinji could not trust them completely.
Therefore, if he distributed all his trusted combat forces evenly across the nine critical nodes, he would have no troops left by his side.
If he only needed to fight the Hegemon of Terror, such an arrangement might be acceptable.
But because of the variable known as Orochimaru, Shinji had to consider more possibilities. For safety's sake, he needed reserve forces to deal with potential emergencies.
Thus, he could not distribute his peak combat power evenly. Since the nine critical nodes required high-level guardians, he could only let Haku—whose strength was just below Six Paths level—guard one of them.
After handling the ice lake, Shinji arrived at another critical node.
By coincidence, Shinji had been to this critical node before; it was the Valley of Hell, where the Uchiha Clan had once exiled the Chinoike Clan.
The area was filled with magma and blood pools—a literal wasteland.
Upon discovering that this was a critical node, Shinji had the idea of transforming it for Yakumo to guard.
Yakumo's strength, like Haku's, was above the Kage level but below the Six Paths level.
As long as the environment was compatible enough, a jump in combat power could be achieved, allowing her to step into the Six Paths level realm in one go.
However, unlike Haku, Yakumo was more fastidious about her surroundings.
Ordinary environments provided very limited amplification for her; only a unique environment like the Valley of Hell could truly boost her power.
Following the same process as before, Shinji opened a spatial gate and summoned Yakumo.
After arriving at the Valley of Hell through the spatial gate, Yakumo looked around and asked: "Leader, is this truly the Valley of Hell where the Chinoike Clan was exiled?"
Shinji was slightly surprised: "Oh? How did you recognize it?"
Yakumo explained: "My Koryugan and Chino's Ketsuryugan both possess the ability to control blood, so I looked into the history of the Chinoike Clan and learned about the Valley of Hell."
Shinji said: "Correct. This is indeed the Valley of Hell where the Chinoike Clan was once exiled. It is also one of the nine critical nodes."
"To think it's this place..." After a brief exclamation, Yakumo thought of something and asked, "Leader, did you call me here for a mission?"
After explaining the matter of Haku guarding a critical node, Shinji said: "I hope you will be the one to guard this critical node."
"What!?"
Yakumo's face was full of astonishment.
Not only her, but even Ido, who resided in her spiritual world, flew out and asked: "Let us guard a critical node? Isn't that a job for Six Paths level combatants?"
Shinji smiled: "Yes, everyone expects me to have Six Paths level fighters guarding the nodes."
Yakumo said: "Are you trying to deceive the enemy? But... but if we guard a critical node, I'm worried we won't be up to the task!"
"Heh, follow me!"
As he spoke, Shinji opened a spatial gate and brought Yakumo and Ido to the ice lake from earlier.
Shudder
Ido felt a chill.
Yakumo looked speechless: "You're a spiritual body, you shouldn't even be able to feel the cold!"
"Is that so..." Ido scratched its head and said, "Strange, then why do I feel like it's freezing here?"
Yakumo pulled her clothes tighter: "But it really is cold! Leader, what kind of place is this?"
Shinji said: "This is the critical node Haku is guarding!"
Swoosh
As soon as Shinji finished speaking, Haku landed in front of them.
Yakumo was somewhat confused: "Haku, were you nearby just now? Why didn't I sense you at all?"
Haku smiled: "The extreme cold weakened your perception, and with the dense nature energy saturating this area, your sensing abilities will be severely interfered with in this place!"
Yakumo realized: "No wonder!"
Shinji said: "Yakumo, aren't you worried about being incompetent? How about this: have a duel with Haku here and see how it goes!"
"Right here? Alright!"
Yakumo nodded.
Even though she knew she would be at a disadvantage fighting Haku in this freezing environment, she wasn't afraid. In her view, once strength reached her level, environmental factors like weather and terrain had very little impact on the battle.
Ido was also eager to try: "Is it a regular spar, or can we go all out?"
Shinji looked at Haku.
Haku smiled: "Go all out. I also want to see exactly how much my strength increases on the ice lake!"