218 Naruto: Snatching the Mangekyō

At that moment, Hikari's cold voice broke the tense silence.

"Are you really not considering heading to Konohagakure to capture the Nine-Tails?"

Nagato, lost in his thoughts about the future, shook his head.

"We don't even know who the current Nine-Tails Jinchūriki is," he replied calmly.

"Who else could it be? There are only two likely candidates in Konohagakure," Uchiha Hikari retorted, her tone sharp and unyielding.

With White Zetsu's information, they might not know the exact identity of the Nine-Tails' host, but they had a good idea of the possibilities.

Currently, in Konohagakure, the only viable candidates were the children of the Fourth Hokage and the Uzumaki clan member, Karin Uzumaki.

During the war years ago, Nagato had clearly noted that the child of the Fourth Hokage and his wife had survived. As for a suitable vessel for the Nine-Tails, no one surpassed members of the Uzumaki clan.

Thus, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki could only be one of those two.

After pondering for a while, Nagato finally said, "Forget it. With our current strength, storming Konohagakure will only end badly for us. The last time we captured the Three-Tails, we succeeded by exploiting a stroke of luck. If they are prepared, it will be far too dangerous for us."

"Suit yourself. You're the one who'll become the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki anyway," Hikari shrugged. Leaping down from the Gedo Statue's hand, she disappeared into the shadows.

Nagato shook his head, watching Hikari's retreating figure before leaving the area himself.

News of the disappearance of the One-Tail and Seven-Tails Jinchūriki quickly reached Konohagakure.

Upon learning of this, Akira, Tsunade, Fugaku, Shisui, and Hyūga Kaori convened in the meeting room to discuss the matter.

"The situation is dire!" Tsunade said gravely, looking at Akira.

Fugaku nodded, his voice heavy. "At this point, Nagato only needs the Nine-Tails' chakra to revive the Ten-Tails. The odds are not in our favor."

It wasn't difficult for them to deduce that even partial chakra from the Tailed Beasts could enable the Ten-Tails' revival.

If Nagato had access to just a fragment of the Nine-Tails' chakra, he wouldn't need to invade Konohagakure directly. Orochimaru, with his mastery of Edo Tensei, could summon the reanimated forms of Kinkaku and Ginkaku, whose bodies contained traces of the Nine-Tails' chakra.

In that scenario, Nagato would have all the chakra he needed to revive the Ten-Tails.

"The situation is indeed grim," Akira agreed, his expression stern.

By securing the One-Tail and Seven-Tails, Nagato was now one step ahead of them. At this rate, he could become the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki at any moment.

While Obito's death had made Nagato's position as a potential Ten-Tails Jinchūriki more apparent, Akira doubted that Black Zetsu would keep the truth about the Ten-Tails hidden from Nagato.

Although the specifics of Infinite Tsukuyomi remained uncertain, one thing was clear: the birth of the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki would pave the way for Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's resurrection.

If Kaguya were revived, Infinite Tsukuyomi would inevitably follow.

In short, the current state of affairs placed Akira and his allies at a severe disadvantage.

"Unfortunately, we're not ready yet," Tsunade lamented, frustration evident on her face.

Six months had passed since their group had begun consuming the Ten-Tails' flesh. Over time, their bodies had adapted to the immense energy, allowing them to consume larger amounts each day.

Yet, even with their improved capabilities, they hadn't finished consuming the massive chunk of flesh. At the current pace, it would take at least another six months to deplete it completely.

Although their power had grown significantly, far surpassing their strength from half a year ago, they understood the terrifying potential of the Ten-Tails.

"Even so, there's no need to despair," Akira said, his voice steady. "The Ten-Tails that Nagato revives will be incomplete, far weaker than the original from the ancient era. We still have a chance to fight back."

He wasn't wrong. The current Ten-Tails would lack the complete chakra of the Tailed Beasts, as many of them were heavily fragmented, particularly the Nine-Tails.

"The incomplete state of the Ten-Tails will limit its Jinchūriki's strength. Our situation might not be as hopeless as it seems," Fugaku agreed, regaining a measure of composure.

They had been comparing themselves to the fully realized Ten-Tails from legend, a comparison that had led to despair.

"Even so, we can't afford to let our guard down. We must be prepared for the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki's Infinite Tsukuyomi," Tsunade cautioned.

"Rest assured, we'll remain vigilant against Infinite Tsukuyomi," Akira affirmed.

They were well aware of the methods required to activate the technique, which primarily revolved around the Rinne Sharingan and the Ten-Tails.

With a clear understanding of these factors, they resolved to counter Nagato's plans before it was too late.