254 Naruto: Snatching the Mangekyō

With most of the Ten-Tails extracted, Nagato's resistance weakened significantly, allowing Hikari and the others to pull it away faster and faster.

At last, with a series of low shouts, the colossal Ten-Tails—standing over a thousand meters tall, like a towering mountain—was forcibly dragged out in one decisive effort.

With a sharp crack, the white cloak draped over Nagato shattered like broken glass, scattering to the ground.

The moment the Ten-Tails left Nagato's body, it immediately regained consciousness and let out a furious roar.

"ROAR!!"

A deafening sound reverberated through the air as a violent chakra storm spread outward.

"So this is the true Ten-Tails? This chakra... it feels as vast as natural energy itself..." Tsunade, in Sage Mode, gazed at the skyward-roaring Ten-Tails with a look of awe.

The sheer presence of this Ten-Tails far surpassed the one Akira had summoned!

"What an overwhelming force!" Fugaku murmured in astonishment.

"Enough admiring it." Tobirama appeared beside them, his expression grim as he stared at the Ten-Tails. "We need to subdue this thing first!"

"That's not a problem." Hikari's voice rang out.

Hearing her confidence, Tobirama's eyes widened in surprise. He had no idea how one was supposed to restrain a creature of this magnitude.

"Clap!"

A crisp sound echoed as Uchiha Hikari pressed her hands together and let out a low shout:

"Sage Art: Wood Release—Wood Dragon Jutsu!"

"Rumble!"

The ground trembled violently as massive wooden dragons erupted from below, swiftly coiling around the Ten-Tails with astonishing flexibility.

The sheer number and size of these wood dragons left Tobirama utterly shocked.

One after another, they surged up from underground, swarming forward in droves.

In an instant, the Ten-Tails' limbs and tails were completely entangled, bound tightly by the enormous wooden dragons like giant ropes, rendering it motionless!

"That's some ridiculous Wood Release..." Tobirama muttered, visibly shaken.

Lowering her hands, Hikari simply shrugged and said indifferently,

"What's the big deal? A Ten-Tails Jinchūriki can use Wood Release."

Just as she finished speaking, everyone suddenly turned to look toward Nagato's motionless body.

A mass of pitch-black liquid writhed atop his corpse, and within it, a pair of golden eyes flickered ominously.

The inky substance wriggled and slowly detached from Nagato's body, seeping into the cracks in the ground.

Seeing this, Hikari's expression darkened, and she immediately sprinted forward.

However, after dragging the Ten-Tails out, they had retreated a considerable distance, creating a gap too vast to cover in time.

"Hehehe..." A sinister chuckle emanated from the black mass. "Too late. Thanks to you all, reclaiming these Rinnegan eyes was easier than expected."

"Damn it!" Hikari cursed as Black Zetsu disappeared.

"Madara took advantage of this opening!" Tobirama's face twisted in frustration.

At this moment, Nagato lay lifeless, his eyes hollow—his Rinnegan completely taken!

Immediately, the group spread their sensory abilities outward, but found nothing.

"Do you understand what the Rinnegan can do?" Tobirama asked gravely, looking at Hikari and the others.

Tsunade's face was equally serious as she explained,

"With the Rinnegan, controlling the Ten-Tails becomes easier, granting absolute dominance over it. Additionally, the Rinnegan possesses the ability to bring the dead back to life!"

Tobirama's expression turned grim. He looked at them and barked, "We need to take down the Ten-Tails immediately! Whether we find a new Jinchūriki or destroy it outright—just act fast!"

Without hesitation, Hikari, Tsunade, Fugaku, and Shisui launched themselves toward the Ten-Tails at full speed.

They all knew that outright killing the Ten-Tails was impossible. Their only option was to claim its power for themselves—becoming its Jinchūriki!

There was no time to consider whether they were even compatible. Every second counted.

If they understood Madara at all, he wouldn't waste a single moment.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

A comically exaggerated voice rang out near the Ten-Tails.

With a burst of smoke, Uchiha Madara, clad in red armor, was summoned by Zetsu.

Beside him, the black liquid from before surged out of the ground, merging seamlessly into Zetsu's body.

Gazing at the rapidly approaching Hikari and her group, Madara smirked and spread his fingers wide. From his fingertips, fierce flames burst forth!

With Madara's shout, a towering crimson barrier erupted, enclosing both him and the Ten-Tails within its blazing confines!

"Damn it!!"

Hikari's eyes burned with determination as she flared her chakra, accelerating even further.

"Rinne Rebirth!"

From within the fiery barrier, Black Zetsu's hoarse voice rang out.

Hearing that, Hikari's face darkened. Behind her, three Truth-Seeking Orbs shot forward like cannonballs, smashing into the flaming barrier ahead!

"Boom!"

A heavy impact shook the air as the pitch-black orbs shattered the Uchiha Flame Formation's barrier.

As the flaming fragments dispersed, Madara and the Zetsu stood atop the Ten-Tails' head.

At this moment, Madara's red armor crumbled away, revealing a chest bearing the features of Senju Hashirama. Wisps of white energy emanated from his body, and in his eye sockets, a pair of glowing purple Rinnegan spun ominously.

Fixing his gaze on Hikari, the first to arrive, Madara's lips curled into an unrestrained grin.

"Too late! It's my turn now!"

With those words, Madara completed the Six Paths Ten-Tails Coffin Seal!

In an instant, the Ten-Tails—still bound by Hikari's Wood Dragons—dissolved into a flood of flesh and chakra, surging toward Madara's body and fusing into him.

Seeing this, Hikari gritted her teeth and immediately extended a massive chakra hand, plunging it into the flowing mass of Ten-Tails flesh.

In that moment, the enormous torrent split in two—one portion surging into Madara, while a slightly smaller stream poured into Hikari!

"BOOM!!"

The Ten-Tails' remains vanished in an instant, absorbed completely before Tsunade, Fugaku, and Shisui could arrive.

Now, both Madara and Hikari had undergone dramatic transformations.

Madara stood dressed in the same white robes as the Sage of Six Paths, wielding a crimson staff. Seven Truth-Seeking Orbs hovered behind him, his long white hair flowing, and a crimson Rinne Sharingan gleamed in the center of his forehead.

Hikari, on the other hand, no longer bore the appearance of a chakra cloak, her clothing had fully materialized into reality.

Unlike Madara's pale complexion, Hikari's skin remained unchanged. Behind her, five Truth-Seeking Orbs hovered, and in her grip, the celestial Tenjin Spear appeared.

"She still managed to steal part of the Ten-Tails' power?" Madara's Rinnegan gleamed coldly as he fixed his gaze on Hikari.

"Madara... Even before becoming the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, he was stronger than Nagato..."

Hikari narrowed her crimson eyes. After witnessing this firsthand, she fully understood the gravity of the situation.