231 Naruto: Snatching the Mangekyō

As Akira finished the hand signs for the Chimera Technique, an extraordinary sensation washed over him.

He could feel two distinct yet enigmatic forces rushing toward him.

These forces resembled natural energy but carried differences that set them apart—similar, yet fundamentally distinct.

One originated from the Earth itself, deeply rooted in the planet's essence. The other came from the stars, an unfathomable energy radiating from countless celestial bodies scattered across the night sky.

The magnitude of these two forces was overwhelming. Compared to natural energy, they felt immeasurably vast, so much so that they bordered on the impossible.

If a comparison had to be drawn, the energy from the stars far outstripped that of the Earth beneath him—by a wide margin.

This disparity came from the celestial advantage of time and alignment, allowing Akira to draw upon only a fragment of the energy emanating from the distant stars.

There was no time to dwell on it.

With the initiation of the Chimera Ritual, the five components of the technique began to glow, transforming into torrents of energy that surged into Akira's body.

Each material brought its unique energy:

The clone of Jūgo turned into a white torrent.The clone of Ōtsutsuki Toneri became a blue-white torrent.The clone of Senju Hashirama emerged as a purple torrent.The Tenseigan manifested as a pure blue torrent. Finally, the Ten-Tails transformed into a crimson torrent.

These five streams of energy, each distinct in color, roared as they engulfed Akira entirely.

Simultaneously, the energies drawn from the Earth and the endless expanse of the cosmos materialized as black and white streams, merging into his body.

The process lasted only a few heartbeats before the seven torrents vanished without a trace.

The Chimera Ritual was a success!

A beam of starlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating the altar where a grayish-white cocoon floated in midair.

Crack! Crack!

The crisp sound of breaking echoed as cracks spread across the surface of the cocoon.

With a sudden shatter, the man-sized cocoon broke apart, revealing Akira within.

At first glance, his appearance had not changed significantly, except for the new mark etched into the center of his forehead.

Slowly, Akira, suspended three feet off the ground, opened his eyes—eyes that had transformed completely.

His right eye gleamed like a sapphire, resembling the Tenseigan but with intricate twelve-sided crystalline patterns, a dramatic evolution of its previous six-sided form.

His left eye was a blood-red Sharingan, its intricate pattern a fusion of two Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan designs, intertwined with pitch-black lines connecting the tomoe.

Then, the mark on his forehead trembled, splitting open like a third eye.

This crimson eye bore rippling rings adorned with three black tomoe near the pupil—an exact replica of the Ten-Tails' eye.

"So, this is what it feels like to complete the Chimera Ritual," Akira murmured, a smile spreading across his face.

He felt a surge of unprecedented power, as though he could make the heavens tremble, split the Earth, and bring mountains crashing down with a mere gesture.

The sky seemed within reach, and the ground felt light, almost fragile—like it could be destroyed with ease.

"What a strange yet incredible feeling…" Akira sighed.

Though he knew this sensation was partially illusory, there was truth to it as well. With his current strength, it wasn't entirely impossible for him to obliterate this land.

"The battle in Konoha seems intense… Tsunade and the others are at a severe disadvantage," Akira noted, his gaze turning toward the distant battlefield.

As if his vision transcended space, he seemed to peer directly into the chaos of the fight.

Without another word, Akira vanished, leaving no trace of his presence.

When he reappeared, he stood amidst the battlefield where Nagato and Tsunade's forces clashed.

The scene was devastating.

Within a radius of several kilometers, the land lay in ruin—mountains shattered, the ground torn apart, and colossal fragments of stone scattered across the desolate terrain.

Amid the rubble, massive splinters of wood hinted at the remnants of two colossal wooden statues. Of the two, only Nagato's Thousand-Armed Kanon remained.

As the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki, Nagato's chakra reserves far surpassed those of Tsunade and her allies. His True Several Thousand Hands technique regenerated far faster, granting him overwhelming endurance.

Even with two full-body Susanoo supporting them, Tsunade and her team were steadily losing ground.

Nagato stood atop his incomplete Thousand-Armed Kanon, his white hair billowing in the wind. Six Truth-Seeking Orbs floated behind him, his expression calm and composed, devoid of injury or fatigue.

"You've finally arrived, Uchiha Akira," Nagato said flatly, his tone almost ceremonial. "No matter what you've done, you're no match for me. I am the second Sage of Six Paths!"

Akira stood motionless, his Sharingan not even activated.

"The second Sage of Six Paths?" he repeated, an amused smile spreading across his face as he studied Nagato. "Nagato, your Ten-Tails Jinchūriki state is far from complete. And yet, you dare compare yourself to the Sage of Six Paths? Such arrogance."

Nagato's expression darkened.

Having defeated Hikari, Tsunade, Fugaku, and Shisui in succession, his confidence had swelled to divine levels. He now saw himself as a god descending upon the mortal plane.

Before Nagato could retort, a hoarse voice broke the silence.

"Fifth Hokage, don't underestimate him. This guy is incredibly strong!"

It was Tsunade, her body battered and bloodied, her voice strained yet resolute.

Fugaku and Shisui stood beside her, equally worn down, their chakra reserves depleted to the brink.

Though they looked grievously injured, none of them were at risk of death. After consuming large amounts of the Ten-Tails' flesh, their regenerative abilities had reached extraordinary levels, far surpassing even Senju Hashirama.