Organizing the genetic map of the Ōtsutsuki clan was no simple task. Konoha's research institute mobilized vast resources to provide all possible support for this endeavor.
Aoba did not personally participate in the work. To outsiders, he seemed idle, but in reality, his responsibilities were heavy.
After all, Konoha's current enemies were Obito and Hashirama, one wielding the Rinnegan and the other once hailed as the "God of Shinobi."
In a one-on-one battle, few in Konoha could face them directly.
Tobirama was strong, but Aoba positioned him primarily as a researcher, reluctant to let him fight unless absolutely necessary.
That left Kakashi, the Third Hokage, the Fourth Hokage, and Tsunade.
Among these four, Kakashi had Kamui, and the Fourth Hokage possessed the Flying Thunder God Technique. These two could handle most battles, even if they couldn't win, escaping wouldn't be an issue.
However, the Third Hokage and Tsunade were at a disadvantage.
Tsunade had developed new abilities, and now, if she fought a former Raikage in a one-on-one battle, she had an 80–90% chance of winning.
But against Obito or Hashirama, whose power surpassed Kage-level, she would struggle.
The most dangerous aspect was Aoba's growing suspicion that Obito and Hashirama had already joined forces. After all, Hashirama had appeared in the first place to save Obito.
Even though Black Zetsu had been dealt with and Kaguya was no longer an immediate threat, Aoba still felt that the Sage of Six Paths was an even bigger problem.
Looking at the original storyline, while Kaguya had been the ultimate boss from start to finish, Aoba couldn't shake the feeling that she had been manipulated by the Sage of Six Paths all along.
Moreover, Aoba had his own interpretation of whether the Sage of Six Paths could interfere in the shinobi world.
While the story suggested he was incapable of direct action, the fact that he had granted Naruto and Sasuke the power of the Six Paths was already highly unusual.
If he truly couldn't interfere, then injecting such immense chakra into the shinobi world would already be considered interference.
Since he could do that, Aoba concluded that the Sage of Six Paths must be capable of direct intervention, though it might come at some cost.
Therefore, Aoba remained highly vigilant at all times. With his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan now awakened, his combat ability had returned to its peak.
At this moment, Aoba was one of Konoha's pillars. Though he seemed idle, he was constantly preparing for potential attacks.
Konoha had also developed various contingency plans for possible attacks from Obito or Hashirama.
Particular focus was placed on countermeasures against large-scale Wood Release techniques and devastating abilities like Chibaku Tensei or Shinra Tensei.
Shinra Tensei wasn't completely indefensible. The reason it seemed unstoppable was that it was cast using the Rinnegan, making it superior to conventional ninjutsu.
To counter even a fraction of Shinra Tensei, one would need a defense ten times stronger than regular ninjutsu.
To address this, Konoha upgraded its barrier defense system.
At the heart of Konoha's defense barrier, the research institute had just completed the development of a massive chakra core cultivated from Hashirama's cells.
This core was a colossal, living mass of flesh, buried deep underground, with a diameter exceeding 30 meters.
It was alive but had no organs, its sole function was to produce chakra.
According to calculations by the research institute and Tobirama, the chakra output of this core exceeded Hashirama's peak levels by more than tenfold.
However, extreme output would drastically shorten its lifespan. Additionally, to ensure maximum chakra supply, it could not perform complex chakra transformations and could only maintain a basic defensive barrier.
The concept was simple: brute force triumphs over all.
If Konoha were to suffer an attack on the scale of Shinra Tensei, the early warning system would immediately activate the chakra core, generating an ultra-powerful barrier capable of protecting the entire village.
This project was also one of the first tangible results of Aoba's strategic ninjutsu development initiative.
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Currently on Chapter 346 - Sasuke's First Six Paths Battle