278 Naruto: Snatching the Mangekyō

As thoughts raced through his mind, the black and red spheres behind Akira floated into his hand.

He spoke calmly, "This is something similar to Truth-Seeking Balls, but different. These are highly condensed stellar energies. If someone hasn't mastered the power of a star, merely touching it would mean death."

"Once I've fully mastered it, I want to see how it compares to the Six Paths power of the Ten-Tails," Tsunade mused, stroking her chin. She trusted Akira's words.

"Compared to the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, what are the strengths and weaknesses of this Celestial Sage Mode?" Tobirama asked with curiosity.

"In terms of immortality and regenerative abilities, the Ten-Tails' power is superior. But in all other aspects, the amplification is at least on par with, if not stronger than, the Six Paths power," Akira explained.

Tobirama nodded, his face lighting up with interest. "That means it's a Sage Mode that enhances all aspects of one's abilities."

"The only downside is that it's incredibly difficult to learn," he added, shaking his head with a hint of regret.

It had taken Akira four years to create this technique. Even the earlier Earth Sage Mode was something that even Hikari, the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, had yet to master.

As for Tsunade and the others, they had only just begun perceiving planetary energy—they were still far from wielding it proficiently.

To truly master Earth Sage Mode, they would need at least several more years. And as for this Celestial Sage Mode, Tobirama estimated that it would take them at least twenty years to grasp it.

If even they, with their level of power, found it this difficult, there was no need to mention the others. The possibility of widespread adoption was nearly nonexistent.

"Can you sense Ōtsutsuki Kaguya and Jigen?" Tobirama asked, getting to the heart of his concerns.

Akira shook his head. "Despite the enhanced sensory capabilities of Celestial Sage Mode, I still can't detect either of them."

"They're really good at hiding," Tobirama muttered, frustrated.

The sheer power of Celestial Sage Mode had redefined his understanding of Sage Modes, yet it still wasn't enough to locate those two.

"The Ōtsutsuki clan's abilities aren't that simple," Akira said, shaking his head.

The Ōtsutsuki clan had once produced beings who ascended to true godhood. They were far from ordinary.

At present, what troubled Akira the most was the unknown existence of Ōtsutsuki Shibai.

(T/N: Shibai Ōtsutsuki was considered a god of the Ōtsutsuki clan.)

Was he truly gone, having ascended to a higher dimension, or was he still lurking somewhere in the shadows?

Akira had no definitive answer.

But he knew one thing for certain—Ōtsutsuki Shibai's strength was undoubtedly beyond comprehension. The various divine techniques that had appeared in the artificial beings created from his cells were proof enough.

These so-called "divine techniques" were still a complete mystery to Akira.

If he had to describe them, he felt that "innate divine abilities" was a more fitting term.

Speaking of such abilities, the Mangekyō Sharingan and Rinnegan also possessed unique ocular techniques, some of which bore similarities to divine techniques, especially those exclusive to the Rinnegan.

Of course, the Mangekyō's techniques were generally inferior to divine techniques—unless they were particularly extraordinary.

Just then, Akira's eyes suddenly sharpened. A surge of terrifying chakra erupted from him as he directed an overwhelming force toward his right.

At some point, a pitch-black spatial rift had silently appeared in that direction.

A tall, pale figure drifted out of it like a sheet of paper.

It was Ōtsutsuki Kaguya!

Seeing her arrival, Akira's lips curled into a cold smile.

"Kaguya, you couldn't have picked a worse time."

Coincidentally, he was already in Celestial Sage Mode.

He had only recently mastered this mode and wasn't yet fully proficient in wielding it.

Under normal circumstances, he would need some preparation time to enter Celestial Sage Mode.

Kaguya's eyes widened, veins bulging on her forehead in shock.

"That is..."

"This chakra…" A deep sense of dread surged within her.

She had come intending to launch a surprise attack and reclaim the God Tree.

However, it seemed her luck was terrible—she had walked right into Akira and the others.

Her Byakugan had been blocked by a barrier, preventing her from perceiving the situation here beforehand.

Now, the form Akira had taken was utterly bizarre. She had lived for thousands of years, destroyed multiple planets, and witnessed countless different powers, yet she had never seen anything like this before.

"That appearance… That chakra… Could it be an evolution of this planet's native power? A Sage Mode..." she thought.

Suddenly, before she could process her thoughts, a golden flash appeared in front of her.

The speed was terrifying—even she couldn't react in time.

Dark-gold lightning flickered around Akira's hand as he struck straight through Kaguya's upper body.

Boom!

With a muffled explosion, a cloud of white smoke erupted, and Kaguya's figure vanished.

"A shadow clone?!" Akira's eyes widened in surprise.

An Ōtsutsuki using a ninja technique?

"A shadow clone?!"

It wasn't just Akira who was shocked—everyone else present was just as stunned.

Especially Tobirama. This was a jutsu he had created, which later spread throughout the shinobi world.

The Shadow Clone Jutsu was designed to be indistinguishable from the original. No matter how powerful one was, even the Ōtsutsuki couldn't see through the difference.

Naturally, Akira hadn't been able to tell, either.

"Talk about poetic justice…" Tobirama said with a bitter smile.

A technique he had introduced decades ago had now come full circle and was being used against them. Life truly was unpredictable.

"Who would have thought that an Ōtsutsuki would resort to ninja techniques…" Akira shook his head.

The stronger one was, the more powerful their shadow clone would be, inheriting the resilience and abilities of the original body.

Whether Kaguya had sent the clone directly or if the clone had opened the portal itself was still unclear.

But one thing was certain: Kaguya had become even more difficult to deal with now that she was using ninja techniques.

...

Kirigakure.

Kaguya's expression shifted slightly as she reappeared, her face carrying a trace of lingering fear.

"Good thing I was cautious and sent a shadow clone ahead… Otherwise, that could have been dangerous. His power has grown far too much."

After absorbing Uchiha Madara, Kaguya had gained all of his abilities, including his knowledge of ninja techniques.

The Shadow Clone Jutsu was one that she particularly valued.

It was a perfect fit for her.

...

T/N: Unfortunately, this is the last available chapter since the author stopped posting updates about two months ago. As of today, I won’t be able to publish any new chapters. I’ll keep checking for updates and hope the author returns soon. In the meantime, I recommend reading my new fanfic about Danzo.