203 Naruto: Snatching the Mangekyō

As Akira drove his fully-formed Susanoo into action, the massive Rinne Sharingan embedded in the Ten-Tails' colossal head displayed a mocking glint, almost human in its derision.

To the beast, this tiny ant dared to challenge it, relying on peculiar abilities. Such audacity seemed laughable.

"Roar!"

With a deafening growl, the Ten-Tails raised its right hand, swatting down at Uchiha Akira's Susanoo like it was crushing a mere insect.

A flash of black steel arced through the air.

"Roar—!"

The Ten-Tails howled in agony, its cry piercing the heavens as its right hand—equal in size to Akira's Susanoo—was severed cleanly at the wrist.

Boom!

The detached limb crashed to the ground, throwing up an immense cloud of dust and debris.

Amidst the haze, the gigantic severed hand twitched uncontrollably, its wound oozing an earthy, yellow fluid.

"The power of space-time ninjutsu! No wonder he's so confident, daring to join this battle. He possesses such formidable space-time capabilities!" exclaimed Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, his voice tinged with astonishment.

"Judging purely by offensive strength, even we couldn't block that attack. No one could," Hamura Ōtsutsuki analyzed calmly.

Staggering back, the Ten-Tails unleashed a flurry of enormous tentacles from its body, launching a wild counterattack against Uchiha Akira.

For a moment, Akira had no choice but to phase out of existence, dodging the relentless barrage by relying on his intangibility.

Then, two streaks of white light tore through the battlefield, slamming into the Ten-Tails with devastating force.

Boom! Boom!

The colossal beast flew through the air like a discarded toy, crashing into a mountain range and obliterating dozens of peaks in its path.

Dust and debris surged like a tidal wave.

Hagoromo turned to Akira with a small smile and raised a thumb in approval, a silent acknowledgment of his prowess.

Not far away, Hamura mirrored his brother's expression, offering a subtle nod before the two brothers transformed into streaks of light, charging toward the Ten-Tails, which was now frantically retaliating.

Meanwhile, Akira descended onto the severed hand of the beast with his Susanoo, tendrils of black sealing script snaking outward from the Susanoo's body.

The intricate runes wrapped around the severed limb, forming dark chains that bound it tightly.

Once the chains solidified, the hand ceased its twitching, becoming as lifeless as stone.

Moments later, space rippled as though stirred by an invisible vortex. The severed hand, larger than even the fully-formed Susanoo, flowed like liquid into the Kamui dimension.

Whoosh!

With a powerful beat of its dark wings, Akira's Susanoo soared toward the ever-shifting battlefield. The Ten-Tails' severed hand was not enough to satisfy his ambition.

From ahead came the sound of explosions like rolling thunder, accompanied by the beast's roars. The ground quaked incessantly.

Having lost its hand, the Ten-Tails was at an overwhelming disadvantage. Deep wounds crisscrossed its massive frame, but each gash healed almost instantaneously, as if the damage had never existed.

"Incredible regenerative power," Akira muttered, awe evident in his voice.

A sudden rumble heralded the arrival of crimson torii gates, descending from the heavens to pin the Ten-Tails to the earth. The gates pierced through its tail, limbs, and even its head, locking it in place.

"Roar!"

An enraged bellow erupted from the beast's maw, the sheer force of its voice reducing an entire mountain before it to rubble.

"Brother, what do we do now? This thing's vitality is terrifying. Its severed hand has already regenerated!" Hamura turned to Hagoromo, his expression grim.

Hagoromo's Rinnegan glowed with a deep purple hue as he studied the struggling beast.

"Its vitality is too strong. Ordinary means won't kill it."

"What about my space-time ninjutsu?" Akira interjected as he approached, having overheard their conversation.

Hagoromo shook his head. "It won't work. Even if you cut it into pieces, those pieces will simply merge back together. And, for certain… unique reasons, I don't wish to kill it outright."

"Unique reasons?" Akira frowned, puzzled.

"It's not just a monster. It's also… our mother," Hamura revealed, his voice somber.

Akira's eyes widened in surprise. He had assumed the two brothers were unaware of the connection between Kaguya Ōtsutsuki and the Ten-Tails. But now, it seemed they knew all along.

"Is it his Byakugan? Has Hamura's visual prowess advanced to the point where he can perceive the essence of things?" Akira's thoughts raced.

In truth, Akira had always underestimated Hamura, viewing him as a sidekick carried by his elder brother. After all, what was the Byakugan compared to the Rinnegan or Sharingan?

But this revelation forced him to reevaluate.

"Understood." Akira nodded, choosing to remain silent.

Hagoromo turned to Hamura. "We have no choice. We must perfect that technique quickly."

Hamura nodded solemnly. "Agreed. Without it, separating the Ten-Tails from our mother is impossible."

Hearing their conversation, Akira's mind cleared. He realized they were referring to Six Paths: Chibaku Tensei, the ultimate sealing jutsu.

The technique was unparalleled, capable of stripping away chakra and rendering the target powerless.

Crack!

The sound of shattering echoed through the battlefield as the crimson torii gates restraining the Ten-Tails splintered under its immense strength. Furious, the beast tore through the bindings, leaving behind nothing but splinters.

The skies churned as a colossal Tailed Beast Ball—several kilometers wide—materialized, brimming with apocalyptic power.

As it barreled toward them, Hagoromo and Hamura merged their Truth-Seeking Orbs into a single black sphere, encasing themselves in an impenetrable shield.

Akira, however, remained motionless, allowing the attack to engulf him.

Boom!

The ground quaked violently as a towering mushroom cloud, stretching thousands of kilometers into the sky, erupted. A radiant light engulfed the battlefield, as if a second sun had descended upon the earth.

When the dust settled two minutes later, Hagoromo and Hamura emerged unscathed, their shield intact.

Akira, too, was unharmed. He had long shifted his body into the Kamui dimension, even muting his senses to avoid the deafening explosion.

The Ten-Tails, however, was in a sorry state. Its charred body resembled a massive lump of coal, its regeneration faltering under the immense damage.