Fuma stood inside Shukaku, holding a flame in his hand to closely observe his surroundings.
"Tail Beasts are truly fascinating," Fuma marveled at the internal structure of Shukaku.
Tail Beasts are peculiar "creatures," simultaneously aggregations of chakra and animal-like entities. The Hachibi's horns can be severed and cultivated in a petri dish, while the Ichibi can transform into sand, lacking a physical body.
Fuma extended his hand, gently touching Shukaku's stomach wall, and the sensation felt just like normal flesh.
"Why does this feel like pig kidneys?"
This marked an important step in Fuma's exploration of the Shinobi world. The so-called Tail Beasts were split from the Ten-Tails by the Sage of Six Paths. They are essential raw materials for researching the Otsutsuki clan.
In fact, if this Shinobi world only had Kaguya, the difficulty level would be much lower. One of the characters who raised the difficulty margin was Sage of Six Paths.
He was a powerful man whose schemes spanned eras, as he was able to seal Kaguya a second time ..... making him the most filial son in the Shinobi world.
.....................
Even without relying on the reincarnations of Indra and Asura, just possessing an information advantage would allow one to develop countermeasures at the level of a "Kage."
Even someone like Black Zetsu or Madara Uchiha would find this frustrating—that's the advantage of having superior information.
However, the future guests made Fuma abandon such cunning strategies. Those aliens would not be so easily dealt with.
Shukaku continued to laugh, delighted by the defeat of a formidable enemy, and roared loudly:
"Shukaku-sama's splendor hasn't faded a bit!"
The Konoha shinobi fell into panic again, but Sakumo narrowed his eyes, sensing something was amiss.
"With Fuma-kun's speed and strength, he couldn't have been swallowed so easily."
Shukaku swung his massive body, preparing to celebrate further, but suddenly felt unbearable pain in his abdomen.
Fuma was currently examining Shukaku's flesh, forcefully tearing off a large chunk and tasting it.
"It's got a slight smoked flavor… and a bit like dried meat. Not bad."
However, consuming it in this way didn't absorb the chakra's purity effectively.
The blood armor on Fuma's body slowly disintegrated, transforming into dense blood energy that began to corrode every piece of Shukaku's flesh from within.
The blood energy generated by the [Predator Malice] domain is a versatile ability. Diluted blood energy can cover a wide battlefield, serving as a sensory tool. Or it can cover oneself, acting as armor to enhance Fuma's strength and defense, improving close-combat capabilities.
Fuma rarely used the chakra-stealing ability of the blood energy, only employing it as a sensory enhancement. Since Jonin can control their chakra flow well, Fuma considered it a skill for cleaning up weaker opponents.
But now, Shukaku's soft, chakra-rich body had become the perfect feast for the blood energy.
Strands of dense blood energy, like termites devouring wood, furiously gnawed at Shukaku's flesh and chakra. Fuma relished the sensation of chakra flooding into him, but a trace of doubt arose in his mind.
Tail Beast chakra is known for its wild, violent nature, but it doesn't have a trait that makes it difficult to absorb. The existence of the [Earthly Furnace] allowed Fuma to purify chakra while absorbing it. However, Shukaku's chakra was unexpectedly resistant.
Fuma has always held a cautious attitude toward chakra. After all, it's something brought by the Otsutsuki clan. What good could invaders bring?
Fuma shook his head, ceasing to ponder this issue. The "dark gate" of chakra couldn't affect him, which was enough for now. The Otsutsuki were still too distant a threat for him.
Shukaku squatted down in pain, the massive tanuki crouching comically on the ground, gagging desperately in an attempt to vomit Fuma out. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't expel the detestable human, only managing to impotently rage and slam the earth in frustration.
Sakumo Hatake watched Shukaku, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu.
"Why does this look so much like my wife when she was pregnant?"
Fuma continued to manipulate the blood energy, devouring Shukaku's flesh, becoming addicted to the sensation of rapid growth. Shukaku's form began to shrink rapidly, already reduced to just over thirty meters tall, with his markings gradually fading.
Shukaku took one last look around, let out an angry roar, and dissolved into a pile of sand, returning to Bunpuku's body. He had an uneasy premonition—if he let that human in his stomach continue, he might really die!
Fuma regretfully watched as the flesh before him turned back into sand, no longer containing that delicious, sweet chakra.
Bunpuku reappeared on the battlefield, now barely able to move. The powerful punch Fuma had delivered earlier was too much for his frail body to endure.
Seeing Bunpuku's weakened state, Fuma smiled kindly.
"Whoosh!"
Before Bunpuku could speak, Fuma instantly appeared before him and crushed his heart with a single squeeze, relieving him of his suffering in this world.
"Ah, I really am a merciful person."
Taking out a sealing scroll, Fuma carefully gathered Bunpuku's remains. Bunpuku's Sealing Art: Dead Soul Absorption Technique closely resembled the Adamantine Chains of the Uzumaki clan and had exceptional defensive power.
The reason Bunpuku hadn't died immediately from Fuma's surprise attack was due to the powerful protection provided by this secret technique.
If Kushina were to master this technique, the Nine-Tails' reaction to seeing two different-colored chains would surely be amusing.
As for whether Kushina should accept the Nine-Tails' power, Fuma hadn't made up his mind. After all, the Nine-Tails is the most ferocious of the Tail Beasts, and Naruto didn't obtain its power through mere talk-no-jutsu.
Who is Naruto? He's the reincarnation of Asura, the Sage of Six Paths' most beloved son! In theory, he's almost like the Nine-Tails' young master, possibly even playing with it in ancient times.
But if Kushina truly wished to gain the Nine-Tails' power, Fuma, as her teacher, would do his best to help her, provided she aligned with Fuma's goals. Otherwise, Fuma wouldn't foolishly empower an enemy with secret techniques.
Fuma still savored the nutrient-rich chakra of Shukaku, regretting not having another bite. He couldn't help but reflect, "High-quality chakra often requires only the simplest absorption methods."
The [Earthly Furnace] trait was already glowing brightly, a sign of imminent advancement. Fuma smiled in satisfaction but didn't rush the trait's progression.
Evolving a trait ideally requires a special catalyst to mutate it into the most powerful ability. For example, when Fuma evolved the [Wilderness Domain ]into the [Predator's Malice], he used Sharingan chakra.
As an Uchiha by blood, awakening the Sharingan was no challenge for Fuma, but why hadn't he opened his eyes yet? The reason was that Fuma had fed the special chakra required to awaken the Sharingan into the trait.
Thus, the blood energy of the [Predator's Malice] domain gained a trace of the Sharingan's sensory and hypnotic abilities, mutating into the devouring effect.
In the Shinobi world, a moderate and peaceful evolution didn't meet Fuma's combat requirements. Fuma pondered over the various hidden treasures of the Shinobi world, preparing to find a catalyst with a "devouring" characteristic to maximize the power of the [Earthly Furnace].
"Fuma-kun, urgent news: the Jinchuriki from the Hidden Cloud has entered the battlefield!"
Sakumo Hatake hurried over, urgently calling for Fuma, interrupting his thoughts.
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