Time flowed soundlessly. Nearly a year had quietly passed since Takuno first set foot on this lunar surface from Rōran.
Now, upon an ancient, deathly silent plain of the moon, the final ritual was complete.
As the Mini Ten-Tails completely devoured the Nine-Tails's chakra, the final tightly shut colossal eye upon its ferocious head slowly opened.
An indescribable aura of chaos spread, declaring that it had finally fused and unified the chakra of the nine great Tailed Beasts scattered throughout the world!
Takuno stood as still as a pine tree, his icy gaze piercing through the lunar dust, locked onto the colossal entity before him.
Far from relaxing, the chakra around him erupted violently instead!
In that instant, centered on the prostrate Mini Ten-Tails, a massive sealing array covering a vast expanse of lunar soil and composed of countless profound and arcane curse symbols suddenly lit up!
These deep black characters seemed to possess life, coiling and sprawling across the ground, outlining a complex and imposing pattern.
This was the ultimate shackle he had meticulously prepared specifically for this moment.
Although in Takuno's calculations, the absolute power of this newborn Mini Ten-Tails might not be invincible, the sheer level of its power's essence had already touched upon a taboo of the world.
For the sake of prudence, this seal was absolutely necessary!
Without the slightest hesitation, Takuno's vast chakra surged into the seemingly boundless sealing formula beneath his feet.
Hum! The array was instantly fully activated!
The pitch-black curse characters forming the array, like ancient serpents awakening from slumber, tightened abruptly with a heart-stopping power of restraint!
Countless thick, solidified black chains of energy erupted from the ground, densely and imperviously wrapping around and binding the mountain-like body of the Mini Ten-Tails, imprisoning it firmly in place!
With the seal complete, the strange three-tomoe Rinnegan in Takuno's left eye suddenly erupted with a soul-shaking, profound radiance.
His hands formed a series of complex hand seals with lightning speed. Through the Rinnegan's transcendent Ocular Power, he forcibly connected with the Mini Ten-Tails' core consciousness, filled with an intent of destruction.
"Change!"
Following Takuno's low shout, the Mini Ten-Tails, in its Gedo Statue form and bound by layer upon layer of sealing chains, began to undergo a cataclysmic transformation!
The hard shell covering its surface crumbled piece by piece with ear-piercing cracking sounds, revealing the surging, powerful essence within.
Its massive body heaved violently before finally slamming down onto the ground. Ten thick, pillar-like tails erupted from its back, savagely pounding the lunar surface and stirring up dust that blotted out the sky.
And in the center of its single, exposed head, a huge vertical eye abruptly opened—a crimson Rinnegan containing boundless pressure, with several pitch-black tomoe rotating within its pupil!
The Ten-Tails in its first form had descended!
"ROAR!!!"
The Ten-Tails, having completed its form change, as if breaking free from some invisible shackles, let out a terrifying roar that shook the entire lunar space!
The sonic waves transformed into tangible shockwaves, visibly distorting the surrounding air and even causing ripples to form in space itself!
Its Ten-Tails, symbols of ultimate power, thrashed wildly. Landslide-like power continuously assaulted the sealing chains Takuno had laid, attempting to completely shatter the bindings!
However, how could the sealing formula Takuno had meticulously constructed be so easily overcome?
No matter how the Ten-Tails struggled, the "black serpents" composed of pure sealing power showed not the slightest sign of dispersing. Instead, as if possessing life, they tightened even more.
They even split off into more, thicker chains, coiling up like spiritual snakes, binding and suppressing the Ten-Tails' Ten-Tails, each containing power capable of destroying heaven and earth, one by one!
"ROAR!!!"
Thoroughly enraged, the Ten-Tails released an even more violent and unwilling roar.
At the peak of this stalemate, the Ten-Tails' fury finally broke through a certain critical point!
BOOM!!!
An unprecedented, terrifying chakra fluctuation erupted violently from the core of the Ten-Tails' massive body!
Its enormous maw opened to its limit, and chakra far vaster than that of any Tailed Beast gathered madly within!
In an instant, countless light spheres containing Yang Nature chakra and dark spheres symbolizing Yin Nature chakra fused together before its mouth at a heart-stopping speed!
An energy sphere far larger and more dangerous than any known Tailed Beast Ball was rapidly taking shape!
Its core was a darkness so deep it devoured all light, while its outer layer was entwined with destructive energy arcs, emitting an aura of death that froze the soul. This was the Ten-Tails' Tailed Beast Ball!
The dark purple Tailed Beast Ball hovered in the void. Even its stray fluctuations caused the surrounding space to distort and tremble.
Yet, standing at the eye of the storm, Takuno's three-tomoe Rinnegan, which fused supreme Ocular Power, reflected not a trace of panic—only boundless indifference.
Such a world-destroying attack might have made him take it seriously in the past.
But now, in his eyes, this was merely the death throes of the trapped beast that was this "Mini Ten-Tails."
Its power was immense, yet it was no longer an insurmountable mountain.
What truly demanded his attention was that if this energy sphere were to fully detonate, the terrifying shockwave it produced would inevitably sweep across the entire lunar surface.
The laboratory at the distant horizon, and the experimental subjects within, absolutely could not withstand such an impact.
"Hmph."
A light snort escaped his lips.
In that instant, the three-tomoe Rinnegan suddenly focused, its profound light swelling!
"Shinra Tensei!!"
BOOM!
An intangible, overwhelming, and irresistible torrent of repulsive force erupted with Takuno at its center, instantly filling the entire space!
That power seemed to originate from the will of the world itself, carrying an absolute authority to suppress.
The Mini Ten-Tails, which had been raging violently just a second before, was slammed down onto the cold, hard lunar surface as if struck by an invisible giant hand. Its unwilling roar was abruptly cut off, crushed without any power to resist, unable to move.
And that terrifying Tailed Beast Ball, not yet fully formed, was steadily pushed by this precisely controlled repulsive force to hover before Takuno.
The violent energy flow seemed to crash into a wall of sighs, obediently halting within his reach.
Takuno's expression remained as calm as ever. He slowly extended his right hand, his fingertips lightly touching the surface of the energy sphere radiating destruction.
Hum.
A powerful suction force spontaneously manifested in his palm!
The Tailed Beast Ball, capable of annihilating all things, visibly collapsed at a rapid pace.
The chakra torrent, surging to its extreme, flowed as gently as a stream, being continuously absorbed into his body.
This was the supreme authority of the Rinnegan's Preta Path—the power to devour all chakra!
Feeling the vast power surging into his body, Takuno's heart remained utterly calm.
Even if he had let this Mini Ten-Tails fully release this Tailed Beast Ball, what of it?
Before him, it would merely add another ripple that he would have to personally smooth over.
The strength of the Six Paths level had long since transcended the realm where such pure energy impacts could shake him.
That seemingly world-destroying energy, to his current power, was merely nourishment to replenish himself.
Because in these dozen-plus years, he had not wasted a single moment!
Having traversed time and space back to the past, he used those Tenseigan eyes possessing Six Paths-level power to ceaselessly contemplate and deduce the ultimate mysteries of Yin-Yang Release, day and night.
Step by step, he finally crossed the boundary between the mortal and the divine, truly stepping into that supreme realm called the "Six Paths" relying solely on his own power!
At this moment, although he had not activated the Tenseigan's signature chakra cloak, and no radiant light flowed around him;
The body bearing this power might also not be flawless.
However, the realm was achieved, and the essence of his power had sublimated!
He, Takuno, was already a Six Paths-level existence standing at the pinnacle of the Shinobi World!
Time had never flowed through his hands in vain!
To be fair, if Takuno had followed the ordinary path of arduous training, the "Six Paths Realm" would likely have remained an illusory dream, far beyond what human effort could easily attain.
It was a legendary domain symbolizing the ultimate peak of power and realm.
But who allowed Takuno to possess the power of the Tenseigan? It was precisely by utilizing the "Tenseigan Chakra Mode" unlocked by these miraculous eyes that Takuno was able to briefly touch and personally experience power belonging to the Six Paths level.
It was an absolute power that surpassed mortal understanding, as if wielding the laws themselves.
Even after shedding this mode, his strength would inevitably fall back to the dimension of reality, but that extraordinary experience was like lighting an eternal, inextinguishable lamp in endless darkness.
It became an incredibly clear coordinate pointing the way forward to the Six Paths realm.
It was precisely with this guidance that Takuno was able to successfully cross that seemingly insurmountable chasm in the following dozen-plus years, achieving a leap in realm.
Otherwise, even given several more decades, lacking this direction and groping blindly in the fog relying solely on himself, he likely would never have glimpsed the threshold of the Six Paths realm in his lifetime!
Direction was the most indispensable key to breaking through limits!
The Mini Ten-Tails' struggles were like those of a trapped beast—violent yet futile.
Under the heavy pressure of Shinra Tensei, its form was forced to twist once more.
In an instant, its massive body underwent a clear change!
It still retained its signature single eye, flashing with savage light.
Its originally prostrate torso now bizarrely straightened up, revealing a vaguely humanoid posture.
However, this newly born "standing" form brought not the slightest turn of fortune.
Its limbs appeared abnormally weak, like newborn withered branches, unable to bear weight. It also carried something like a conch shell on its back.
More bizarrely, the huge tails behind it, originally symbols of power, now twisted and deformed, their ends taking on shapes resembling sharp claws.
This was the second form the Mini Ten-Tails had struggled into in its desperate situation.
Unfortunately, the transformation of form did nothing to shake its pitiable predicament.
This newly born body remained as if nailed down by invisible spikes, utterly unable to move.
Its entire body was firmly pressed into the cold lunar soil; even the newly formed claw-like tail tips couldn't lift a fraction.
High above, Takuno sat steadily upon a temporary throne constructed from floating rocks.
His expression indifferent, he looked down upon the struggling Mini Ten-Tails on the lunar surface below.
In his eyes, the three-tomoe Rinnegan in his left eye and the Tenseigan in his right eye simultaneously emitted a profound and soul-shaking radiance, like two stars containing destructive power.
What was astonishing was that Takuno wasn't even utilizing the power of his Tenseigan at this moment!
He was completely suppressing the Mini Ten-Tails relying solely on the might of his three-tomoe Rinnegan.
This was not underestimation, but absolute control.
Because compared to the three-tomoe Rinnegan, the Tenseigan's power in manipulating gravity and repulsion could be called the absolute pinnacle!
It was a might capable of overturning galaxies, able to easily manipulate massive gravitational fields, driving several huge Meteorites to move through space;
At its full power, it could even cause a satellite as large as the moon to break orbit, carrying world-ending force to crash into Earth!
Such power, even if the full-powered Ten-Tails' main body were here, would only be utterly crushed.
Let alone this Mini Ten-Tails, possessing only about forty percent of the main body's power?
Therefore, Takuno's composure was not negligence.
Behind that indifferent demeanor lay absolute confidence stemming from his own absolute strength!
All of the Mini Ten-Tails' struggles were, in his eyes, merely futile.
Having ascended to the Six Paths level, Takuno's once-burning desire for the power this Mini Ten-Tails could bring had cooled considerably.
Under his current perspective, the energy contained within the Mini Ten-Tails was insufficient to cause a fundamental, qualitative change in his strength.
His only expectation now was the inevitable opportunity for physical evolution that would come with becoming the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, and that higher-level power essence originating from the Ten-Tails itself.
That was the crucial key capable of pushing the three tomoe in his left eye's Rinnegan toward a higher realm.
However, whether this still somewhat immature "Little" Ten-Tails could bear the weight of this expectation remained a huge question mark in his mind.
Takuno sat upon the temporarily constructed throne, his gaze profound as an abyss, looking down below.
Under the dual restraints of the Sealing Jutsu and Shinra Tensei, the Mini Ten-Tails' massive body was firmly suppressed, unable to move.
He gazed at the struggling giant beast, his low murmur echoing within the throne space.
"You... can you help me advance further?"
Time flowed silently in the stalemate.
Suddenly, within the bound shell of the Mini Ten-Tails, it seemed some power was undergoing an intense metamorphosis.
This change, though not immense, was clearly visible.
Its originally withered, bony body was visibly filling out at a rapid pace, muscles bulging, revealing an unprecedented robust outline.
The accumulated power finally broke through the heavy pressure of Shinra Tensei. Its mouth, which had been firmly clamped shut, suddenly wrenched open!
"ROAR!!!"
A roar far more violent than before, like a tangible sonic wave, exploded, shaking the entire moon.
"Oh? To be able to break free enough to roar like that... That is somewhat interesting." A trace of imperceptible satisfaction flashed in Takuno's eyes, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.
He calmly stood up from the throne; the temporarily formed throne behind him dissipated.
Although, in theory, the Mini Ten-Tails' evolutionary path should point toward the "Divine Tree" form as the ultimate goal.
Takuno was well aware that currently, it was impossible for him to let its roots spread across the entire Shinobi World to complete that final transformation.
So the time had come. There was no need to wait any longer.
It was time to seal the Mini Ten-Tails into his own body, for him to become the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki.
With his decision made, Takuno's figure instantly appeared atop the Mini Ten-Tails' heaving, massive body.
His hands formed seals. Simultaneously, within his left eye, the three crimson tomoe spun frantically within the Rinnegan's pupil, their light blazing.
"Six Paths Ten-Tails Coffin Seal!"