A dark underground space.
The massive Demonic Statue of the Outer Path pointed upward, surrounded by vague light and shadow figures whose outlines could only be roughly seen.
"Zetsu, what's the purpose of this emergency meeting?"
Nagato asked, his gaze fixed on the flickering image of Zetsu.
"Just received news—the team of Sasori and Hoshigaki Kisame has been eliminated," Zetsu reported.
"Eliminated?"
Shocked voices echoed among the shadows.
If it had been a regular team, it would be understandable. But this was a team consisting of Sasori and Hoshigaki Kisame—both Kage-level shinobi. Such a team should have been able to retreat safely even from a Kage-level enemy.
Their defeat came as a complete shock.
"Could it have been Uchiha Fugaku?"
Konan asked.
She knew that only Uchiha Fugaku possessed the strength to defeat the two of them.
"It wasn't Uchiha Fugaku. He hasn't left Konoha recently," Zetsu replied, shaking his head.
"Then who was it?"
asked an elderly voice, tinged with unease.
It came from Shennong, who had recently joined the Akatsuki. He had joined hoping to leverage the organization's strength to achieve his ambitions—and gain protection. But now, witnessing the demise of such powerful members, he deeply regretted his decision.
"The deaths occurred in the Land of Iron. An informant spotted Uchiha Shisui and another Konoha ninja there shortly before the attack," Zetsu continued.
"I suspect the one impersonating Uchiha Shisui is responsible."
"He originally intended to kill Uchiha Fugaku and turn his body into a puppet, but he didn't even see Fugaku and ended up being killed by a newly awakened Mangekyō Sharingan user from the Uchiha clan,"
Orochimaru added, his voice laced with ridicule.
He recalled the time Sasori had mocked him during a previous meeting, boasting that he would kill Fugaku and make him into a puppet.
Now, Sasori had been slain by an Uchiha who had recently awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. It was the ultimate irony.
It was a pity there was no flesh left from Sasori—otherwise, Orochimaru would have used Impure World Reincarnation to summon him just to ask how it felt.
"Even with the Mangekyō Sharingan, it shouldn't be possible to defeat both Sasori and Hoshigaki Kisame alone,"
Konan questioned with confusion.
"Judging from the battlefield, there were two distinct fight zones. The one accompanying Uchiha Shisui is suspected to be another Kage-level shinobi," Zetsu explained.
"Going all the way to the Land of Iron to ambush Sasori and Kisame… Konoha is clearly targeting the Akatsuki,"
Konan concluded.
"Hmph. Konoha…"
Nagato grunted coldly.
He acknowledged Fugaku's strength, but only for now.
Once his legs were healed, his body recovered, and the power of the Six Paths was united within him—he would surpass Fugaku.
…
One day later, Spore Clone No. 1 and Spore Clone No. 2 returned to Konoha, carrying the body of Hoshigaki Kisame.
As for Sasori, his puppet body—along with the regeneration core—had been reduced to ashes by Amaterasu.
Upon receiving the scroll containing Kisame's body, Uchiha Fugaku headed to a secret chamber near the Naka Shrine.
Bang—
With a puff of white smoke, Hoshigaki Kisame's body appeared.
"I wonder what level my chakra will reach after smelting Hoshigaki Kisame's body..."
Fugaku murmured with anticipation.
Kisame had earned the nickname "Tailed Beast without a Tail," reputed to possess chakra on par with the tailed beasts.
It was no exaggeration—his chakra reserves were enormous.
"Corpse Melting—"
Fugaku tossed the body into the air, and a swirling black hole appeared, swallowing Kisame's corpse.
As the body dissolved, a warm current surged from Fugaku's left eye and flowed through his entire body.
It felt like a comforting breeze on a winter day—his whole being was engulfed in warmth and ease.
Inside, his cells began undergoing a mysterious transformation.
They gained the ability to produce and hold more chakra.
Moments later, Kisame's body was fully melted, and the warm current faded.
Fugaku emerged from the trance-like comfort and activated Yamanaka Clan perception techniques to examine his own body.
"Hmm?!"
His eyes widened in mild disappointment.
The chakra increase wasn't as much as expected. It certainly hadn't reached the colossal level Kisame once held.
"No... my chakra is increasing—it must be a gradual process…"
He hypothesized.
While he had inherited Kisame's chakra-producing constitution, the increase wasn't instantaneous.
At present, it was as if his chakra was still recovering. Once fully restored, he should surpass even Kisame.
After all, his current chakra constitution was a fusion of his own and Kisame's—not merely a replication.
That night, his chakra slowly regenerated to full capacity—and then stopped growing.
The next morning, in the backyard, Fugaku released his chakra aura and re-checked it using Yamanaka-style perception. He was stunned.
"Ten times!"
His chakra reserve was now ten times larger than before.
Kisame's chakra constitution had given him a tenfold boost.
This was massive. Originally, Fugaku's chakra reserves were already three times greater than the average Kage's due to integrating multiple talents.
Now, it was thirty times that of a typical Kage-level shinobi.
To reach Kage-level, one had to master S-rank jutsu, which already demanded high chakra. Thirty times that? His current reserves were unimaginable.
"No wonder they called him a tailless tailed beast..."
Fugaku whispered.
Though still not at the level of the Eight or Nine Tails, he estimated his chakra now rivaled that of standard tailed beasts.
Kisame had truly earned his title.
"With this level of chakra, I'm no longer limited by my reserves. If I face Nagato again, I won't need to hold back."
He smiled.
"What's making you smile so much?"
Uchiha Mikoto entered the backyard, her belly visibly round.
Several months into her pregnancy, she radiated maternal warmth.
Fugaku quickly moved to support her.
"I just made a breakthrough in my training."
"Is that so? That's wonderful."
She beamed with pride.
"Why are you up so early? You should rest."
"I've already slept plenty,"
Mikoto said, gently rubbing her belly.
"What do you think we should name the baby?"
"If it's a boy—Yato. If it's a girl—Ruri."
Fugaku had already thought about this for a long time. These were the names he liked most.
"Yato… Ruri…"
Mikoto repeated them softly. The more she said them, the more she liked them.
Though she had thought of a few herself, none sounded quite as perfect.
"Alright. It's decided. Yato for a boy, Ruri for a girl."
(End of this chapter)
***
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