208 Naruto: Snatching the Mangekyō

"This thing is massive! No wonder that chunk of flesh and the severed hand we saw earlier were so enormous," Fugaku murmured under his breath.

"A creature of this size… It's truly a harbinger of destruction," Tsunade said to herself.

"What a terrifying existence…" Shisui shook his head, worry etched across his face.

"Terrifying indeed," Akira said, breaking the silence. "The Ten-Tails' power is unimaginable. If it were to charge up a Tailed Beast Ball, it could obliterate an entire great nation—or worse, the entire planet!"

Hearing this, the three others were struck speechless, their faces pale with shock.

After a long silence, Tsunade sighed, her determination solidifying. She turned to Akira.

"I'll try consuming it first. As a medical ninja, my control over my body is precise enough to handle any unexpected reactions," she said.

"No need to rush," Akira interrupted, shaking his head. "The Ten-Tails is an immortal and indestructible creature. Its flesh contains tremendous vitality, and I suspect it also harbors fragments of its soul. Eating it directly might carry significant risks."

"So you plan to use the Spirit Transformation Technique to destroy any potential remnants of the Ten-Tails' spirit?" Tsunade asked, catching on immediately.

"Exactly," Akira nodded.

"Then give it a try. If it eliminates the potential risks, that would be ideal," Tsunade agreed.

Even the smallest fragment of the Ten-Tails' spirit was an enormous threat. Coexisting with it for any length of time could lead to corruption, potentially altering their personalities entirely over the long term.

"Be careful, Akira," Fugaku warned.

Beside him, Shisui gave Akira a reassuring nod.

"Don't worry. It's just a fragmented, weakened spirit," Akira replied calmly.

Without hesitation, he activated the Spirit Transformation Technique. A faintly glowing white spiritual form emerged from his body, stepping forward and sinking into the mountain-sized hunk of flesh.

Within an infinite void of darkness, Akira's glowing spirit appeared.

This was the Ten-Tails' mental domain, and Akira instantly confirmed his suspicion: fragments of the creature's spirit were indeed embedded in its flesh.

As soon as his spiritual form entered, the space reacted.

ROAR!

A thunderous roar echoed throughout the void as a massive, spectral form of the Ten-Tails appeared thousands of meters away from him.

Though ethereal, it was just as colossal as the physical form outside, resembling the creature's third transformation state. Muscles bulged, radiating an aura of ferocity.

The crimson Rinnegan and Sharingan in its head gleamed with bloodlust. With a deafening roar, the spirit charged at Akira.

"Kamui!"

Akira's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan flared, and he activated Kamui. Even in spiritual form, ocular techniques were fully functional.

A spiraling distortion appeared in the void, focusing on the massive head of the Ten-Tails' spirit.

Sensing danger, the creature tried to flee, but the vast, open void offered no cover. No matter how fast it moved, it couldn't escape Akira's gaze.

SHRIP!

In an instant, the Ten-Tails' head was twisted and sucked into the Kamui dimension.

Though headless, the Ten-Tails' spirit didn't die immediately. Its vitality remained monstrous, and it became even more ferocious in its desperation.

However, without a head, its power and aura plummeted. Its current frenzy was nothing more than the death throes of a cornered beast.

With precision and ease, Akira dealt with the crippled spirit. Channeling his full-body Susanoo, he cut it apart piece by piece. Using techniques designed to target spiritual entities, he obliterated every fragment of the Ten-Tails' spirit.

As the final remnant of its spirit faded, the mental domain collapsed, and Akira's spiritual form returned to his body in a flash of white light.

"How did it go? Is the Ten-Tails' spirit destroyed?" Tsunade asked immediately.

"I've destroyed its spirit," Akira confirmed, then hesitated. "But I can't guarantee it's gone for good."

"You think it can regenerate?" Tsunade frowned.

"Yes," Akira nodded grimly.

Walking back to the mountain of flesh, he pressed a hand against it and began an intense session of sensory exploration. Activating Sage Mode, he pushed his perception to its limits, meticulously scanning the massive lump for nearly an hour.

When he finally withdrew his hand, his brows were furrowed, and his crimson Sharingan glinted ominously.

Seeing his expression, the others exchanged worried glances.

"As you've probably guessed," Akira said, "the Ten-Tails' spirit isn't truly destroyed. Or rather, its spirit can regenerate endlessly. As long as its flesh remains, so too will its spirit."

"That's… not good news," Tsunade muttered, her expression dark.

"If we consume its flesh, it will integrate with us," Akira explained. "This means the Ten-Tails' spirit will continually revive within our bodies, potentially influencing us over time."

"Then we have no choice but to learn the Spirit Transformation Technique," Akira concluded. "It's the only way to mitigate the risks."

"But the Spirit Transformation Technique is notoriously difficult to master," Shisui pointed out, scratching his head. "I've heard that most people can't even attempt it."

"He's right," Tsunade agreed. "I've seen the technique before through my late boyfriend, Kato Dan. I couldn't meet the learning requirements."

"I understand," Akira replied. "For most people, it's nearly impossible. But those with the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan are a different story—they meet the conditions perfectly."

Hearing this, both Fugaku and Shisui brightened, their confidence restored.

Turning to Tsunade, Akira continued, "Tsunade-sama, while it's true the technique is difficult, you aren't an ordinary person. Moreover, with the power of the Six Paths augmenting you after consuming the Ten-Tails' flesh, learning it becomes feasible."

Tsunade visibly relaxed, though she asked cautiously, "But what about the Ten-Tails' spirit? Won't it revive in the meantime?"

"It revives slowly," Akira assured her. "Much faster than a typical Tailed Beast, but still slow enough. I estimate it would take at least a year for the spirit to fully regenerate in its current state. Furthermore, dividing its flesh among multiple people will slow the process even more."

Hearing this, the group finally breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Given the circumstances, they had ample time to master the Spirit Transformation Technique—so long as Nagato's plans didn't accelerate.