239 Naruto: Snatching the Mangekyō

Nagato had grown extremely wary after being captured by Uchiha Akira previously.

With the support of the Six Paths' power, Shinra Tensei and Banshō Ten'in were ready to unleash their full might, causing Jigen considerable trouble.

However, despite his power, Nagato could only barely maintain a stalemate. Prolonging the fight would inevitably lead to his defeat.

Jigen's attacks relied almost entirely on taijutsu, rendering the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki's immunity to ninjutsu irrelevant.

Watching the battle in the sky, Uchiha Akira spoke in a deep voice, "Nagato isn't the real threat here. The one we need to focus on is Ōtsutsuki Isshiki. Jigen hasn't reached his strongest state yet."

"What's the plan? We've recovered enough. Just give the order, Akira," Shisui said, his eyes burning with anticipation as he observed the battlefield.

"We deal with Isshiki first," Akira decided, glancing at his comrades. "Our matters with Nagato are Earth's affairs. Isshiki is an outsider. He takes priority!"

As Akira finished speaking, a deafening roar echoed from the sky.

The team instinctively looked up to see the heavens trembling. In his second Kāma state, Jigen wielded his black staff with devastating force, relentlessly hammering down on Nagato.

Each strike was faster and heavier than the last. By the end, simply swinging the black staff stirred up massive, blinding white whirlwinds.

At first, Nagato barely managed to parry with the Six Paths Staff. But as Jigen's attacks grew fiercer, he began to falter.

The sky trembled and twisted, as if on the verge of shattering.

A deafening crash followed, and a blinding white light shot from the storm, hurtling toward the Divine Tree.

"Boom!"

With an earth-shattering noise, smoke and debris billowed upward, and the massive Divine Tree shook violently, as if it might collapse.

Jigen stood high above, his expression cold as he looked down at Nagato, who was embedded in the trunk of the Divine Tree, half his body destroyed. Raising his hand, Jigen aimed at Nagato.

With a series of muffled sounds, black rods pierced Nagato's body, pinning him firmly to the fractured tree trunk.

"An immortal body is indeed troublesome," Jigen remarked with indifference, "but even an immortal can't do much against this."

Turning his gaze downward, Jigen's eyes locked onto Akira and his group. "Next, I'll deal with Konoha's Hokage and then reclaim this Ten-Tails."

Below, Tsunade and the others were visibly shaken by how quickly Nagato had been defeated.

"What's going on with Nagato? How did he lose so fast?" Tsunade asked, staring at the pinned Nagato, who struggled to regenerate.

On the tree trunk, Nagato's anger and panic were evident. The black rods severely suppressed his chakra, significantly limiting even the regenerative capabilities of the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki.

"He's coming. Be ready," Fugaku said sternly.

Akira stepped forward, his voice steady. "Stay alert. This guy can absorb ninjutsu, and his ability to do so is even stronger than Nagato's. But, like Nagato, he can't move quickly while absorbing ninjutsu, so we can use that for diversion."

"Understood," Tsunade and the others nodded, preparing for battle.

"You've analyzed his trick with the black rods, haven't you?" Akira asked, as a Truth-Seeking Orb transformed into a black staff in his hand.

"Of course!" Shisui nodded. "It's simple—his ability lets him shrink and restore objects. But he likely can't use it on living things."

"Exactly. Use that to your advantage. I'll handle the main assault," Akira ordered.

Above them, Jigen's face darkened as he overheard their discussion. His abilities had indeed been exposed.

"Those Sharingan… always such a nuisance. But so what if you know? Can you keep up with me?"

Jigen's expression turned cold as he gripped his black staff and descended swiftly.

Narrowing his eyes, Akira launched himself skyward like a cannonball, rushing toward Jigen.

"Clang!"

A sharp metallic ring reverberated, followed by a surge of white shockwaves spreading in all directions.

Locked in combat with Akira, Jigen's dark eyes glinted as he activated Daikokuten.

Nine black rods materialized out of nowhere, shooting toward Akira.

But Akira's Sharingan rotated calmly. The invisible rods, fatal to most, were easily perceived.

Combining his visual prowess with Kamui, Akira phased through the attack, rendering Jigen's ultimate technique ineffective.

Turning to face Akira, Jigen's expression stiffened. "A space-time ability? You're far more troublesome than the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki."

"Your ability is simple," Akira replied, his tone serious. "But with your strength, it's incredibly dangerous."

Despite only being in his second Kāma state, Jigen's power was overwhelming. While he wasn't physically stronger than Nagato, his abilities made him far more dangerous.

"Swish!"

In an instant, both Akira and Jigen disappeared.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Invisible shockwaves rippled across the sky as fierce winds expanded outward.

The battle intensified as Akira used Kamui to unleash a relentless assault on Jigen.

Each strike of Akira's Truth-Seeking Black Staff felt like the weight of the sky itself crashing down.

Combining the monstrous strength of the Senju Clan's secret techniques, Akira's blows far surpassed Nagato's.

Each clash forced Jigen back, his hands trembling as he struggled to maintain his grip on his staff.

"Boom!"

A powerful strike landed squarely on Jigen, shattering his guard and slamming into his body.

"Crash!"

Jigen plummeted to the ground, the earth shaking violently as dust and debris erupted into the air.

Seizing the opportunity, Tsunade, Fugaku, and Shisui, who had been waiting below, surged forward, chakra blazing.

Now was the perfect time to take down a fallen enemy.