Chapter 182: Nine-Tails Chakra Mode!

Chapter 182: Chapter 182: Nine-Tails Chakra Mode!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

As they spoke, several of Yin Kurama's tails whipped out, and a Tailed Beast Bomb quickly began to form in his mouth.

Clang!

The Fire Nether Chains emerged from the ground in response to Shūichi's will, wrapping tightly around Yin Kurama's limbs, torso, and every tail.

Then, in a flash, Shūichi appeared above the Nine-Tails' head, his entire body surrounded by crackling lightning—he had activated Lightning Release Chakra Mode.

Boom!

With a powerful punch, he smashed Kurama's head into the ground, dispersing the Tailed Beast Bomb entirely.

By this point, Shūichi's three shadow clones had completed their jutsu:

Scorch Release: Rasenshuriken!

Lava Release: Rasenshuriken!

Magnet Release: Rasenshuriken!

"What...?"

Yin Kurama looked on in shock.

"Kurama, did I forget to mention? Although I'm a student of Minato-sensei, I was the one who developed the Rasenshuriken technique!"

With that, Shūichi disappeared from the top of the Nine-Tails' head.

The next moment, the Magnet Release: Rasenshuriken whirled toward Kurama, striking him and unleashing magnetic energy that paralyzed him entirely.

Following this, the Lava Release and Scorch Release Rasenshurikens hit him, shattering his defenses and causing his chakra to pour out.

Seizing the opportunity, Shūichi pulled hard, draining Kurama's chakra.

Seeing this, Shukaku huffed, "This guy's gotten even stronger!"

"But damn, the fox is really having it rough!"

---

"Damn it..."

Kurama was furious, watching as Shūichi easily siphoned away his chakra. He had clearly underestimated him.

"But don't think you can just take my power that easily!"

Kurama sneered, and a wave of malice surged through his chakra toward Shūichi.

Yet, he quickly realized that his malice had no effect on Shūichi at all.

"How... is this possible?"

Kurama was stunned.

Seeing Kurama's reaction, the Four-Tails, recalling his own previous experience with Shūichi, felt somewhat consoled and remarked, "Kurama, don't waste your energy. This guy has a mind like no other."

"He's unusually clear-headed and can face the entirety of himself, good and bad."

"If we're talking about malice, this guy has plenty of it buried in his heart—no less than us."

Shukaku roared with laughter, taunting, "Stupid fox, you're pathetic! You couldn't even last thirty seconds, and you call yourself the strongest tailed beast."

Kurama's anger surged. "You two idiots! Shouldn't we be working together to take this guy down?"

Still lying there lazily, Shukaku replied, "I have no interest in teaming up with an arrogant blowhard like you."

"Besides, taking him down just means someone else will seal us in their gut. If we become part of the Ten-Tails, we're in real trouble. This place isn't so bad."

The Four-Tails added, "You'll get used to it, Kurama."

"If what this guy says is true, you'll understand—it's safer here."

"There's no way we can resist the power of the Sharingan and the Rinnegan!"

Kurama fumed in frustration. These two had no fighting spirit!

At this point, the effects of the Rasenshurikens had worn off, and the Nine-Tails, now regaining control, immediately stopped leaking his chakra.

Even so, he had grown visibly thinner.

Observing this, Shūichi couldn't help but be impressed. "As expected of the strongest tailed beast. Even with just half of him, his chakra is greater than the entirety of the Eight-Tails'."

When he had extracted chakra from Shukaku, it had shrunk him, while Kurama had only slimmed down.

Furthermore, this chakra he had just stolen was far greater than what Shukaku and the Four-Tails had in their complete forms.

It was clear just how massive the chakra reserves of the full Nine-Tails would be.

Of course, this was raw power—chakra alone.

It didn't guarantee absolute strength, though in terms of battle, Kurama was indeed likely the strongest among the tailed beasts.

And from Kurama's power, Shūichi could gauge how absurdly strong Hashirama Senju must have been.

"It's pretty clear now that, as a whole, the Nine-Tails' power surpasses the combined power of all other eight tailed beasts."

Shūichi reflected, "Right now, I'm about on par with Shukaku. If I keep training, I'll probably be on the same level as the Four-Tails once I reach adulthood."

"But there's still a long way to go to catch up to Kurama. I need to keep improving my physique!"

"With a few more boosts, I could reach the Nine-Tails' level in no time."

"Plus, consuming the flesh of tailed beasts could also strengthen my body..."

With his body compatibility trait and the [Devourer] tag, Shūichi had opened up a world of new possibilities.

He re-sealed Yin Kurama without further comment and disappeared.

---

In the Sealed Chamber, Shūichi Opened His Eyes.

As the merging concluded, the tailed beast chakra surrounding Shūichi shifted, and the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode re-emerged.

"Body compatibility is truly a blessing!"

Shūichi felt immense satisfaction.

It was a wholly different experience from Kinkaku and Ginkaku; they too had consumed the Nine-Tails' flesh, yet they had failed to achieve the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.

Meanwhile, in the seal, Yin Kurama sensed Shūichi's transformation, shocked beyond words. "This guy... how?"

"He actually managed to fully integrate and adapt to my power."

The Four-Tails, by now unsurprised, commented, "Don't be too shocked. His constitution is like no other; he's already mastered the powers of me and the Eight-Tails using the same method."

"If it weren't for Shukaku's sand body, he'd have managed that, too."

"So, when he said he preferred power he could control freely, he meant it."

Yin Kurama fell silent, reluctantly acknowledging that Shūichi was unlike any ninja he'd ever known.

---

Deactivating Nine-Tails Chakra Mode once more, Shūichi stretched his body: "My physical strength has improved again, and this boost is even greater than when I consumed the flesh of the Eight-Tails or the Four-Tails."

"This is practically more astonishing than a 100% boost to my physique!"

Shūichi was both surprised and delighted.

To match the Nine-Tails, even surpass it—seemed only a matter of time!

Filled with excitement, he left the chamber, and in the hallway, he spotted Tsunade stretching, her graceful curves a sight to behold.

Sensing his gaze, Tsunade turned. "Oh, you're here too?"

Shūichi stepped forward. "Running some experiments with the Nine-Tails."

"The Nine-Tails!"

Tsunade's eyes sharpened. "Has it been split already?"

Shūichi grinned. "Yes, everything went smoothly."

"We can now study the cells of the Nine-Tails. Its vitality rivals that of the First Hokage!"

Intrigued, Tsunade decided to drop by and take a look after dinner.

The two left the lab, walking under the starlight to the bustling streets of Konoha.

Shūichi invited her, "How about dinner at my place? I'll call for Shizune."

Tsunade firmly shook her head. "Too impolite without prior notice."

"Besides, Shizune has probably eaten by now."

Shūichi thought for a moment. "Next time, then!"

Tsunade hesitated slightly, knowing that Nonō Yakushi and Asuka's cooking was truly superb.

But...she glanced at Shūichi, gave a faint huff, then waved her hand and entered a nearby place to eat.

"We'll see about next time!"

Failure!

Shūichi chuckled and instantly teleported home.

The smell of delicious food filled the air, and the dining table was set with an array of dishes.

"Nothing beats the feeling of being home..."

Shūichi felt genuinely happy.

At that moment, Asuka peeked her head out of the kitchen, smiling. "Shūichi, wash up and get ready for dinner! There's just one last soup left!"

"At your command!"

Shūichi laughed, went to wash his hands, and by the time he returned, Asuka and Nonō had finished preparing the final soup.

The bountiful, heartwarming dinner began.

---

Meanwhile, in the Land of Rain.

Inside a cave, White Zetsu (Tobi) emerged from the ground, turning to Black Zetsu and White Zetsu with a grin. "The time has come. Danzo from Konoha is currently negotiating with Hanzo. It seems Hanzo has been swayed by Danzo and intends to eliminate the Akatsuki."

The White Zetsu controlling Uchiha Obito chuckled. "This will make things a lot easier for us."

The other half, Black Zetsu, cautioned, "Don't be too complacent. Shūichi has been keeping a close eye on this place."

White Zetsu Tobi rubbed his chin. "Is he planning to snatch the Rinnegan?"

"If so, and he disregards the lives of others, stopping him may be quite difficult!"

"That Flying Thunder God Technique of his is truly a headache."

Black Zetsu was confident. "This is the difference between a ninja and us."

"Besides, Shūichi might not even be after the Rinnegan—his target could be Danzo."

"Of course, we should still prepare for all possibilities."

White Zetsu Tobi chuckled, "In that case, how about I head to Konoha and snatch someone close to him?"

White Zetsu nodded, "You could try, but be careful. Don't let Shūichi leave a Flying Thunder God mark on you. Not even Izanagi can erase that."

White Zetsu Tobi nodded, full of confidence. "Don't worry, I'll use a clone or my spore technique. He won't even notice!"

Black Zetsu added, "Then let's split up."

"If things go south, we'll join forces to stall Shūichi. We cannot allow him to interfere here."

(End of Chapter)