214 Naruto: Snatching the Mangekyō

If he could change his ways, perhaps he could finally get on the right track with Tsunade!

"Jiraiya, that old pervert…" Tsunade snorted coldly, a flicker of anger flashing in her eyes.

At this moment, Fugaku shifted the topic and asked, "Akira, what's so special about that girl? Why did you personally bring her here?"

"Her Byakugan purity is extremely high. She has the potential to awaken the Tenseigan," Akira explained.

"The Tenseigan?"

The three present were stunned.

The Tenseigan, just like the Rinnegan, sounded like a dojutsu bloodline technique on the same level as the fabled Rinnegan.

"What kind of bloodline dojutsu is this? Could it be the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths' younger brother?" Fugaku asked.

"You're correct. The Tenseigan is indeed the younger brother's dojutsu," Akira confirmed.

"In other words, it's a bloodline dojutsu that rivals the Rinnegan?" Tsunade interjected, her expression showing a mix of shock and curiosity.

Uchiha Akira nodded and replied, "In my personal opinion, in terms of sheer offensive capability, the Tenseigan surpasses the Rinnegan."

"That powerful?" Tsunade was momentarily taken aback.

"Yes," Akira nodded, continuing, "Just like the Rinnegan, the Tenseigan can manipulate both repulsion and attraction. However, the Tenseigan also grants access to its exclusive Tenseigan Chakra Mode, a supremely powerful chakra state that far surpasses the Lightning Release Chakra Mode of Kumogakure."

"If that's the case, this is undoubtedly great news for us!" Tsunade's face lit up with joy.

The prospect of adding another top-tier combatant to Konoha's future was truly exciting for her. Based on Akira's description, someone wielding the Tenseigan would undoubtedly become an immensely powerful shinobi.

This point was evident from Nagato's current state.

...

The next day,

Uchiha Akira once again brought Hyūga Kaori to his laboratory.

There were two methods to awaken the Tenseigan: the first was by fusing multiple Byakugan, and the second was through combining the Byakugan of the Hyūga clan's main family on Earth with the chakra of the Ōtsutsuki clan.

The main and branch family distinction in the Hyūga clan was marked by the Caged Bird Seal. Beyond that, there were no fundamental differences between them. Now that the Caged Bird Seal had been completely removed, every member of the Hyūga clan was effectively part of the main family.

What Akira needed to do now was akin to what Uchiha Madara had done in the past. Madara had transplanted Senju Hashirama's flesh to obtain Asura's chakra. The combination of Indra and Asura's chakra had awakened the Sage of Six Paths' chakra, allowing Madara to activate the Rinnegan.

Similarly, Akira planned to transplant Ōtsutsuki Toneri's cells into Hyūga Kaori, enabling her to acquire the chakra of the Ōtsutsuki clan.

Based on Akira's experiments, Toneri's cells, unlike Senju Hashirama's, lacked overwhelming invasive properties. In other words, the transplantation of Toneri's cells would be relatively straightforward.

Whether this was unique to Toneri or common to all members of the Ōtsutsuki clan, Akira wasn't certain.

Hyūga Kaori took a deep breath and looked at Akira. "Hokage-sama, I'm ready."

Akira nodded, activating Kamui. A glass bottle appeared, filled with a glowing solution. Within it floated a Byakugan, its faint luminescence resembling a star in the night sky.

This Byakugan was a special one, obtained through Akira's experiments to verify his theories. Unlike ordinary Byakugan, it had partially evolved, already beginning the transformation into a Tenseigan.

Kaori's gaze was immediately drawn to the glass bottle. She didn't ask any questions, though her expression was full of curiosity.

"This Byakugan has already undergone partial evolution. It's the product of my experiments, and from now on, it will be your eye. Perhaps it will save us considerable time," Akira said.

Kaori nodded. "I understand."

The Byakugan transplantation and cell implantation surgeries were highly successful. Within half an hour, Akira had completed both procedures.

"How do you feel?" Akira asked as he observed Kaori, her right eye covered with bandages, leaving only her left eye visible.

Kaori carefully sensed the changes in her body. A radiant smile appeared on her face.

"Hokage-sama, I feel better than ever. Power is surging through me endlessly!"

"And this right eye," she added, her voice tinged with awe, "feels so wondrous and unique. It's as if it has a life of its own, pulsating with energy!" A hint of rapture crossed her face as she spoke.

Akira nodded in approval. "Good. Now, all you need to do is wait for the moment of true transformation."

Kaori responded with determination. "Understood, Hokage-sama. I won't let you down."

After sending Kaori away, Akira entered the massive chamber where the Ten-Tails-related experiments were stored.

Upon entering, he saw Tsunade, Uchiha Fugaku, and Uchiha Shisui devouring chunks of the Ten-Tails' flesh with great effort.

"It's been a few days now. How are you all feeling?" Akira asked curiously.

While he wasn't sure how long it took the Nine-Tails to digest Kinkaku and Ginkaku, he guessed it wasn't very long. Considering how much Ten-Tails flesh the trio had consumed, it should theoretically have resulted in a significant increase in their strength.

Tsunade paused, considering her words.

"There's been some improvement in strength, but it's not the earth-shattering transformation we expected."

"That's strange," Akira frowned.

Theoretically, Kinkaku and Ginkaku couldn't have consumed much of the Nine-Tails' flesh, yet they were able to enter a pseudo-Tailed Beast Mode, manifesting six tails and even using the Tailed Beast Ball.

Seeing Akira's confusion, Tsunade shrugged. "What's so strange about it? The Ten-Tails isn't the Nine-Tails. While the Nine-Tails' power originates from the Ten-Tails, there are still fundamental differences."

"In comparison to the Ten-Tails, the flesh we've consumed is just a drop in the ocean. It may seem like a lot, but in reality, it's barely anything. The chakra within it isn't as abundant as one might think," she added.

"Let me try," Akira said.

He approached the mountainous pile of Ten-Tails flesh, lightning sparking from his hand as he sliced off a piece. Holding the golden-hued chunk of flesh, he closed his eyes and swallowed it whole.

In an instant, his expression contorted, his usually composed face twisting in disgust.

The taste was beyond description—it was more than just unpleasant.

Seeing Akira's reaction, Tsunade, Fugaku, and Shisui burst into laughter. Finally, someone else could share in their suffering.

After swallowing the flesh, Akira focused on sensing the changes in his body. Moments later, understanding dawned on him, and he muttered, "So that's how it is."