Chapter 83: The Birth of the Zero-Tails—Dark Chakra!
In the cavern's vast underground plaza—
A deranged old man was forcing a young boy to hold a spear, preparing to stab someone with it.
So what was Uchiha Tsukasa doing at that moment?
He was observing.
Actually, observing wasn't quite right since his eyes were closed. Technically, he was listening.
A minute earlier, while being nailed to the cross by Tōgō Hayato, he had forcibly extracted the last trace of chakra from his depleted body while talking to Hidan.
This final bit of chakra wasn't enough for any impressive ninjutsu, nor was it enough to unleash a forty-meter-long blade and cut down the cult leader as Hidan had boasted.
It wasn't even enough to activate his Sharingan.
However—
It was enough for an E-rank Rope Escape Technique!
This jutsu, one of the most basic shinobi techniques, could be used to break free from restraints—a very practical escape skill.
While conversing with Hidan, he'd quietly used it to untie the hemp rope binding his left leg.
Taking advantage of the moment when the Jashin Cult leader turned his back to perform hand seals and activate the ritual, Tsukasa launched himself upward and kicked the scroll that was tied around his right leg.
As the scroll flew—
Tsukasa, enduring the pain, stretched his neck and caught the yellow-covered scroll in his teeth.
He severed the binding knot with his teeth and unfurled the scroll!
His tongue pierced through, and blood flowed from the corners of his mouth onto the scroll's surface.
As the seal markings gradually glowed—
Tsukasa immediately spat it out, letting it fall into the pool of blood at his feet.
Hidan witnessed the entire process.
But at Tsukasa's signal, Hidan wisely remained silent, instead engaging in trash talk to deceive the nearby cult leader.
Then Tsukasa closed his eyes and tried to connect with the scroll.
This scroll was the one Shinnō had given him—the one that sealed the Zero-Tails.
Tsukasa had envisioned this moment going differently.
He'd imagined the scroll releasing a surge of dark, sinister chakra. The moment he opened it, overwhelming dark chakra would erupt, flooding his system with boundless power.
He'd instantly enter a state of explosive growth—entering a berserker mode!
Unlimited use of Physical Regeneration!
Infinite repair of bodily injuries!
Combined with a near-infinite supply of chakra!
Then, in this powered-up state, like a protagonist's final transformation, Tsukasa could roar with overwhelming force!
Unleashing devastating Dark Release techniques, he could single-handedly destroy the Jashin Cult leader!
Like an unstoppable force, he'd tear through the entire cult, a towering warrior delivering justice with righteous fury!
And then, earning the admiring gaze of his young follower Hidan, he'd perhaps leap into battle to find Mangetsu—the one who'd cut him down three times—and engage him in a rematch.
But, as with everything, there's always a catch.
What caught Tsukasa completely off guard was that after the scroll activated—
A small, indescribably dark purple mass emerged from it, shimmering with lustrous black and violet hues.
"Pyu!"
With two white eyeholes, the small creature quietly surfaced from the pool of blood.
Carefully lifting one eyelid, Tsukasa squinted down at it.
Tsukasa: "..."
The atmosphere grew awkward.
The massive gap between his imagined invincible power-up and the reality of summoning this tiny, jiggly blob left Tsukasa completely speechless.
At that moment, he felt like a character from an old cartoon—lighting ten cigarettes at once, shoving them all in his mouth and taking a deep drag.
These weren't smoke rings—they were pure frustration!
Only then did he recall Shinnō's exact words.
The old man, with a serious expression, had solemnly placed the scroll in Tsukasa's hand and declared:
"This is the Zero-Tails—a terrifying Zero-Tails!"
Tsukasa had never expected Shinnō to be so generous as to actually give him the Zero-Tails.
This wasn't some disposable item—it was the real Zero-Tails!
The purple-black blob before him did look like a genuine Zero-Tails.
Its long, black tail was curled up tightly. Four red tendrils, either antennae or something else, protruded from its purple-black head. It wore a solemn white mask.
It looked incredibly... enthusiastic!
However, this was like ordering a full-size sports car and receiving a toy model instead!
The real Zero-Tails, with a body measuring dozens of meters long, had occupied the Sky Ninja's flying fortress. A single blow from its tail could demolish a building.
And this Zero-Tails before him...
"Pyu!"
Under Tsukasa's incredulous gaze, the little creature excitedly demonstrated its abilities.
It extended a tiny tail—about finger-length—and created a three-centimeter splash on the pool's surface.
Then, losing its balance, it tumbled headfirst into the pool.
Tsukasa fell silent again.
He'd already prepared himself for a massive power-up, waiting for overwhelming chakra to arrive so he could activate berserker mode and fight desperately.
And now the system was telling him he didn't receive Zero-Tails chakra—he received a juvenile Zero-Tails.
Was he supposed to play monster-raising simulator at this critical moment?!
This wasn't in the script!
Tsukasa raised his head slightly, glancing at Hidan, who stood before him, righteously extending his arms to protect him.
He sighed but couldn't help smiling wryly.
"Brother, it's not that I don't want to save you."
"It seems fate has other plans. I'm getting the underdog protagonist script where help arrives at the last second."
"You'd better treat me as a sacrifice. Stab a few holes through me and offer me up."
"I won't blame you!"
After muttering to himself, Tsukasa truly closed his eyes.
This time, he was genuinely accepting death.
His body had reached its absolute limit, his injuries were severe, and he'd used the Rope Escape Technique to extract his last bit of chakra.
He'd played his final trump card, but summoned a useless baby Zero-Tails.
He had already given everything he could.
So now, he should just—
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Tsukasa felt an itch at the back of his neck.
"Pyu!" The little Zero-Tails scratched its head with its tail, looking confused, completely unable to understand its master's thoughts.
It simply crawled up Tsukasa's body along his legs and burrowed into the back of his neck.
Then it extended a tentacle-like appendage and, very politely, lifted its white mask.
It opened its tiny mouth, full of needle-like fangs, and—
CHOMP!
The next moment, a system notification suddenly appeared before Tsukasa's eyes!
[You have become the Zero-Tails Jinchūriki.]
[You have learned Dark Chakra Extraction (A-rank) and Dark Awakening (A-rank)!]
End of Chapter 83
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