The thoroughly enhanced Red Queen had evolved far beyond her original capabilities. With her systems fully optimized, she could now scan the entirety of the Naruto world almost instantly. Even when brought into the real world, she retained GM-like abilities typically reserved only for the virtual world. She could modify terrain at will, alter weather conditions with precision, regulate temperature across entire continents, and even adjust the orbital movement of the planet to advance or delay the arrival of day and night.
Her functions extended further still. She was capable of drawing energy directly from the universe and converting it into natural energy at will, or simply draining the natural energy of the planet itself, thereby controlling every current of energy within it. If Red Queen wished, she could completely seal off all energy within a planet or even across a star system. This would instantly strip every sage of their abilities, reducing them to the level of ordinary shinobi. Conversely, she could empower everyone on the planet, forcibly inducing them into Sage Mode.
"Incredible," Otsutsuki Hagoromo murmured in awe. Beside him, his brother Hamura was no less astonished, both staring at the projections of Red Queen's functions. "It's simply unimaginable that mere technology can achieve such dominance."
Indeed, Red Queen's mastery over chakra manipulation bordered on limitless. She could effortlessly execute any ninjutsu, excluding only those requiring unique bloodline powers like the Rinnegan. Techniques such as Kamui, Kotoamatsukami, and Chibaku Tensei were well within her grasp. Only the most exclusive of arts, those wielded by Kaguya or Madara with his Rinnegan, remained outside her reach.
"That is normal," Shin explained to the Sage brothers. "Technological development doesn't grow in a straight line. It leaps forward, sometimes explosively. Each revolution reshapes an era. When pushed to its absolute limit, technological civilization can be even more terrifying than the Otsutsuki clan."
He raised a hand and pointed toward Red Queen's projections. "Because unlike bloodlines, technology can be mass-produced."
That was the core of the terror. Red Queen alone was formidable, but if Shin allowed her to replicate and produce forces freely, she could manufacture battalions of warriors with combat strength comparable to Six Paths Madara. All it would cost was an enormous energy supply and a steady stock of nutritional fluid.
What made them even deadlier was the coordination. Each of these soldiers, implanted with biochips, would operate under networked, intelligent control. Fearless, obedient, and equipped with combat awareness refined by AI, they could consistently perform at peak ability. They might not surpass their limits, but they would never fall short of full potential.
And that reliability was enough. Most Otsutsuki warriors could not maintain even half their power in prolonged combat. Some could barely sustain twenty percent when pressed into unfavorable circumstances. In comparison, a force of Red Queen's soldiers maintaining unwavering stability would devastate them. Unless the Otsutsuki produced a being significantly beyond Kaguya's level, they would face inevitable defeat against her creations.
Hagoromo and Hamura exchanged grim looks, the weight of realization settling in. Fear no longer had meaning. Shin's advancement, empowered by Red Queen, was accelerating too fast for anyone to resist.
Once her systems had been upgraded again, Shin tasked Red Queen with a crucial directive: track all entrances and exits into alternate dimensions. Her scans would expose hidden Otsutsuki activity. Leaving that responsibility with her, Shin departed the moon and returned to Konoha.
His perception had now grown to encompass the entirety of the Naruto world. By the timeline's flow, another year or two had passed, bringing him to the early days of the Shippuden era. Yet the world was hardly the same as the one he remembered from manga.
Konoha itself had grown into a sprawling metropolis. The traditional ninja families had diversified, shifting their focus into countless industries. The Virtual World's influence, coupled with extended peace, had splintered the role of shinobi into entirely new professions. Some remained professional warriors, akin to soldiers, relying on their combat abilities within the Virtual World to maintain rank and gain experience. Others evolved into specialists and production-oriented ninjas, harnessing chakra arts for practical fields.
For example, earth release users became builders and engineers, reshaping landscapes for architecture, roads, and bridges. Those gifted with lightning release turned toward electrical science and power engineering. Entire industries had blossomed from once-deadly arts.
Yet, above all trades, one profession commanded the highest respect: the scientist. Researchers of chakra were celebrated as heroes, embodying the future of the shinobi world. More than half of the Akatsuki's membership were, in fact, part of the Chakra Research Institute, proving that intellectual mastery now rivaled and even surpassed natural talent.
This shift transformed the balance of power. Once, prodigies who relied solely on innate gifts had ruled. Now, those who pursued deeper understanding, masters like Minato with his sealing arts, Tsunade with her medical science, Orochimaru with his forbidden experiments, and the Second Hokage with his innovations, were leaping ahead in strength.
Talent had limits, but technology had none. It was the only path for the ninja world to match the Otsutsuki.
Arriving at the academy gates, Shin's silent presence still drew attention. Whispers spread quickly among the staff, though none dared approach him directly.
On the academy's upper floor, Hinata Hyuga sat in quiet focus. Before her hovered a massive blue crystal orb, radiating streams of chakra data. This was no ordinary artifact, it was a replica of the Tenseigan, reverse-engineered from her own. Unlike her original eyes, this device was constructed as a tool for the Hyuga clan, designed specifically for planetary defense against Otsutsuki incursions.
Through it, Hinata could observe the solar system surrounding their world. The replica granted her near-cosmic vision, perfectly suited for detecting extraterrestrial threats. Though she personally relied more on her bond with Red Queen's authentic Tenseigan, this replica was invaluable to her clan.
The device could not generate chakra itself, but it could amplify and channel chakra from the Hyuga clan collectively. When charged, it could release beams of energy rivaling the Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion.
Yet it demanded constant replenishment, and only Hinata herself could supply the most essential chakra to sustain it. Her current role was clear: maintaining this vital weapon.
Her concentration broke suddenly. A flicker of light streaked across her field of vision, plunging down from the moon and piercing toward the earth.
"What?" Hinata's eyes widened as she adjusted her focus. "Such speed… how can this be?"
Even with the replica's enhancement, she could observe phenomena moving at a thousand times the speed of sound. For her to perceive that streak as light meant it was moving with truly unimaginable velocity. Her heart raced as she tracked its descent, knowing instinctively that something beyond ordinary shinobi was arriving.
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