228 Naruto: Snatching the Mangekyō

Fugaku nodded solemnly. "A truly terrifying battle... It feels as though gods themselves are clashing."

Shisui's expression tightened as he murmured, "What on earth is happening over there? The intensity of the battle is terrifying enough that we can feel tremors even from here. Who could be fighting?"

After becoming the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, both Uchiha Hikari and Nagato's chakra underwent profound changes—so much so that even Tsunade and the others could no longer discern them with certainty.

"Is the Fifth Hokage still not ready? If we wait any longer, it'll already be next year," Tsunade muttered, glancing up at the stormy, cloud-filled sky with a tinge of concern.

"Have faith in the Fifth. No matter what, he still has a fragment of the Ten-Tails' power. Even in the worst-case scenario, we'll hold our ground," Fugaku replied in a low voice.

"At this point, we have no choice but to trust him," Tsunade said with a similar tone of determination.

...

Meanwhile, at Mount Shumisen,

Uchiha Akira—despite lacking the power of the Sage of Six Paths—couldn't help but speculate about the massive commotion coming from the Land of Rain.

"This kind of upheaval doesn't seem like a clash between Tsunade and Nagato... So what's happening over there? Who could possibly battle Nagato, who's now the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, to this extent?" Akira pondered, his heart filled with questions.

Nagato's strength, after becoming the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, had undergone an undeniable qualitative leap, reaching an almost unimaginable level.

In his current state, Nagato's power as a Jinchūriki vastly eclipsed Obito's. While Obito's Ten-Tails had lacked significant portions of the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails' chakra, Nagato's version, while incomplete, still contained a substantial amount of the Eight-Tails' chakra.

Though there were differences between the two Ten-Tails, Nagato's own abilities, combined with Sage Mode, made him far superior to Obito.

"In theory, Nagato as the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki should be even stronger than Six Paths Obito. So who's fighting him? Could it be Isshiki Ōtsutsuki's Karma reincarnation, Jigen?" Akira furrowed his brows, perplexed.

In Akira's understanding, someone like Jigen, essentially a manifestation of Isshiki Ōtsutsuki, was one of the few individuals in the current shinobi world who could go toe-to-toe with Nagato.

Even then, he doubted Nagato could match Isshiki's strength.

"Forget it. Whoever it is doesn't matter for now. The critical moment is nearly upon us," Akira shook his head, dismissing his distracting thoughts.

Only half an hour remained until the arrival of the 56th year of the Konoha Calendar. Once the solar eclipse occurred, the Chimera Technique Ritual would have to be conducted. There was no room for hesitation.

Time passed slowly, yet before the eclipse could appear, Nagato arrived outside Konoha at startling speed.

At the gates of Konoha, a streak of white light shot down from the sky and slammed into the ground.

Boom!

Instantly, the earth quaked, rubble flew, and the ground fractured across a radius of hundreds of meters. A storm of dust surged forth like a tidal wave.

A sudden gust of wind swept through the area, dispersing the dust to reveal Nagato, his pale form wielding the Six Paths Staff. Behind him floated six black Truth-Seeking Orbs, forged anew with the power of the Ten-Tails.

Fugaku, Shisui, and Tsunade stared in shock at Nagato's transformed appearance. His terrifying aura was unmatched, transcending anyone they had encountered before.

From a distance of several hundred meters, Nagato regarded the trio with a faint look of surprise. His purple Rinnegan eyes scanned them, and he spoke softly,

"The Ten-Tails' aura? It seems you've found a way to harness its power. But you're not Jinchūriki, are you?"

His piercing gaze had already discerned part of the truth, and without waiting for an answer, he continued,

"Judging by your chakra, you must have obtained it through consumption—like how Kinkaku and Ginkaku devoured the Nine-Tails' flesh."

Fugaku locked eyes with Nagato, his tone steady.

"The method doesn't matter. Becoming a Jinchūriki isn't the only way to wield a tailed beast's power."

"Hmph. Nothing more than scraps of the Ten-Tails' chakra," Nagato sneered.

"Only six Truth-Seeking Orbs? Where are the other three?" Tsunade scoffed. "You're not as invincible as you'd like us to believe. Or maybe you can't fully control the Ten-Tails? Is it too broken to be complete?"

Thanks to the intelligence provided by Akira, the trio had a solid understanding of Ten-Tails Jinchūriki.

Nagato's expression didn't waver as his overpowering chakra rolled across the battlefield. His cold voice cut through the air,

"You'll find out just how 'invincible' I am soon enough."

The ground beneath them cracked and shattered as four blinding streaks of light collided with deafening roars.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The earth splintered under the relentless onslaught. Massive boulders were reduced to powder as the combatants clashed again and again.

Tsunade's fists, glowing with a brilliant green light, struck with such force that the air trembled. Her power had reached unparalleled heights, surpassing even Guy in the Seventh Gate of the Eight Gates. With the combined strength of Sage Mode and Six Paths power, Tsunade stood toe-to-toe with Nagato, her punches unyielding even against his Truth-Seeking Orbs.

Nagato's staff blocked her strikes, but the sheer weight behind her punches bent the weapon like a bow.

"So heavy!" Nagato's pupils contracted as he struggled to absorb the shock.

From either side, Fugaku and Shisui closed in, their swords ablaze with fire as they slashed at Nagato's head.

Clang!

Two Truth-Seeking Orbs intercepted the blades, deflecting them with ease.

"Get out of my way!" Tsunade roared. A burst of immense force surged through her fist, breaking Nagato's defense and sending him flying backward.

Nagato skidded across the ground, leaving a deep gouge in the earth.

"Amaterasu!" Fugaku's crimson Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan spun as he unleashed black flames that ignited Nagato in an instant.

Whoosh!

The inextinguishable flames raged, amplified by the combined might of Sage and Six Paths chakra.

"Amaterasu?" Nagato muttered, his voice calm. "How disappointing. Compared to Hikari's Amaterasu, this is nothing."

With a casual movement, he activated Preta Path to absorb the black flames as if they were mere streams of energy.

"Just as expected," Fugaku murmured, his eyes narrowing. He showed no sign of surprise.

"Stick to the plan," Tsunade commanded, her tea-green cloak billowing as she stepped forward, her gaze resolute.