199 Naruto: Snatching the Mangekyō

"There's a way to avoid Infinite Tsukuyomi, but in a critical moment, I'd only have time to save a few people at best," Akira said calmly.

"Why only a few?" Tsunade asked, perplexed.

Fugaku and Shisui, hearing Akira's explanation, seemed to grasp something and exchanged contemplative glances.

"My Mangekyō Sharingan's ability comes with a unique space-time dimension. Essentially, it's another world, which can block the light of Infinite Tsukuyomi," Akira explained briefly.

At his words, Fugaku and Shisui nodded knowingly, recalling the times Akira had transported them to a dimension filled with towering square pillars.

"Your Mangekyō Sharingan came with an entire dimension!?" Tsunade exclaimed, stunned by the revelation. "That's… that's absurdly overpowered!"

It was completely beyond her expectations. But as the shock settled, Tsunade began to understand why Akira said he could only save a few people. There simply wouldn't be enough time to transfer everyone.

"Even if it's just a few people, it's better than nothing. If it comes to that, take the strongest individuals. That way, there's still a chance for survival," Tsunade sighed, relieved it wasn't a completely hopeless scenario.

"Don't worry. When the time comes, I won't hesitate," Akira said resolutely. His tone carried a firm determination.

Then he added, "But I won't let it come to that. If it does, I'll have no choice but to take a risky gamble."

"You have a plan?" Tsunade's expression grew serious, sensing the weight behind his words.

From Akira's demeanor, it was clear that this gamble involved significant risks and uncertainty. Fugaku and Shisui shared her concern, their expressions equally grave.

With the current crisis, they had already deciphered the contents of the Uchiha shrine's stone tablet. But even with that knowledge, no solutions presented themselves—not even the faintest glimmer of hope.

"Do you remember the source of the Sublimation Serum?" Akira suddenly asked.

"Wasn't it extracted from the fruit grown on the small tree you cultivated from the Gedo Statue's remains?" Tsunade replied, puzzled. As the head of Konoha's medical department, she was well aware of the elixir's origins.

"Correct." Akira nodded, his gaze meaningful. "But, Lady Tsunade, are you familiar with the Nine-Tails' situation?"

"What does the Nine-Tails have to do with this?" Tsunade asked, frowning. "I wasn't in the village during the Nine-Tails' attack. By the time I returned, it was already over."

Fugaku and Shisui seemed to catch onto something as Akira continued, their thoughtful expressions deepening.

"That night, after a fierce battle, the Nine-Tails split into three parts. Its main body was sealed into the Fourth Hokage's son, one fragment into Fugaku's son, Uchiha Sasuke, and another into Uzumaki Karin," Akira explained.

"The Nine-Tails… split into three!?" Tsunade's face showed her astonishment. She had never imagined such a scenario and hadn't paid much attention to the Jinchūriki situation upon her return.

Quickly piecing things together, Tsunade's expression shifted to one of realization. Her eyes widened as she looked at Akira.

"You're targeting the Ten-Tails! You must have more of the Gedo Statue's remains hidden somewhere!"

The Nine-Tails could split, so it wasn't far-fetched to think the Ten-Tails, as the progenitor of all Tailed Beasts, might have the same ability. Connecting the dots, Tsunade instantly deduced Akira's intent.

Akira didn't deny it. He nodded. "I do have more of the Gedo Statue's remains."

His confirmation left no room for doubt. Fugaku and Shisui exchanged knowing looks, silently acknowledging they had suspected as much.

"How much of the remains do you have? If it's too little, it won't work. There's no time to nurture it and let it grow, and even then, it might not regenerate into another Ten-Tails," Tsunade said thoughtfully.

"A full arm of the Gedo Statue," Akira revealed.

After a moment of contemplation, Tsunade nodded. "If it's an entire arm, your plan might just work."

"Inject the Tailed Beasts' chakra into the arm. That might recreate a portion of the Ten-Tails' power. If you become its Jinchūriki, you'll gain Six Paths-level strength. At that point, you might stand a chance against Nagato," Tsunade said, rubbing her chin.

Akira shook his head. "Actually, I have another method that might allow us to wield the Ten-Tails' power—perhaps even share it among multiple people. But it's extremely dangerous, and the resulting power wouldn't be as strong as a true Ten-Tails Jinchūriki."

His words made everyone pause, their curiosity piqued. Even a diluted version of the Ten-Tails' power meant tapping into Six Paths-level strength. Combined efforts could potentially rival the full might of the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki.

"What's your method? At this point, danger is unavoidable," Tsunade urged.

"Do you remember Kinkaku and Ginkaku?" Akira asked.

"Of course. If it weren't for them, my great-uncle wouldn't have died. Those two wielded the Nine-Tails' power and were the reason my great-uncle fell in battle," Tsunade said coldly.

"They gained that power after being swallowed by the Nine-Tails, but instead of dying, they ate its flesh from within. The pain forced the Nine-Tails to spit them out, and they emerged with its chakra," Akira explained.

"So, you want to replicate what they did? Consume the resurrected Ten-Tails' flesh to gain its power?" Tsunade's eyes widened.

"That's exactly it," Akira admitted.

Tsunade frowned. "It's an interesting idea, but the success rate is abysmal. When Kumogakure learned of Kinkaku and Ginkaku's abilities, the Third Raikage tried to replicate the process with Eight-Tails' flesh. All the volunteers died."

"This is different," Akira countered.

"How so?" Tsunade asked sharply.

"Kinkaku and Ginkaku were special—they were descendants of the Sage of Six Paths. Ordinary people failed because they lacked that lineage," Akira said, his voice resolute.

One successful case could be chalked up to luck. Two meant there was more to the story.