Tick! Tick!
Water droplets occasionally fell from above.
Under the guidance of Gensou, Utakata walked with a mix of anticipation and trepidation into this secluded cave.
Crossing a dark and winding passage, he noticed a light emerging at a corner up ahead. He took a few more steps, rounded the bend, and looked up.
Instantly!
A surge of awe filled his heart.
"What is that…?"
Utakata stood frozen in place, completely overwhelmed.
In front of him loomed a colossal, humanoid figure of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
Unlike the narrow, cramped cave passages before, the space where Utakata now stood was vast and open, large enough to fit most of the Tsuchigumo Clan's land.
Even so, with the Demonic Statue placed here, the area felt exceedingly crowded.
One could imagine how Utakata felt, seeing this giant figure more terrifying than even the tailed beasts, looming right in front of him.
Not only that, for the first time, he could feel an intense, uneasy emotion radiating from the Six-Tails within him. The chakra of the Six-Tails began to uncontrollably seep out.
When facing Gensou earlier, the Six-Tails had never shown this level of distress.
"To think it could make the Six-Tails feel so uneasy…"
Utakata was about to forcibly suppress the Six-Tails chakra emerging from him when a mocking voice suddenly sounded above him:
"That chakra… Six-Tails, isn't it? What a surprise that the Six-Tails Jinchuriki would walk in here of his own accord."
Utakata quickly looked up and noticed several figures standing atop the ten fingers of the Demonic Statue, some solid, others hazy.
As for the one who had just spoken…
Utakata's gaze swept over the Mist Village headband slashed across with a line and the distinctive shark-like face.
"Hoshigaki Kisame!"
Being from the Hidden Mist Village himself, he quickly recognized this well-known S-class rogue ninja from his village.
Likewise, as a former Mist shinobi, Kisame was familiar with the Six-Tails and now grinned broadly.
"Looks like a lamb wandering into a den of wolves, doesn't it?"
"Do you need me to handle this?"
From the side, Kakuzu, who was actually present, offered coolly.
Hearing this, Utakata looked at Kakuzu, then shifted his gaze to the others until his eyes settled on the figure floating mid-air, whose chakra was continuously being drained—the Jinchuriki of the Five-Tails, Han.
"Red clouds on black robes, rogue shinobi, and a person suspended mid-air with chakra being extracted, obviously another Jinchuriki like me. So, this is the rumored secret meeting place of the Akatsuki."
"Why did Gensou bring me here?"
Utakata felt surrounded by wolves.
Most of the people atop the ten fingers of the Demonic Statue wore expressions of indifference, mockery, and amusement, as if they'd found an interesting toy to observe.
Once again, his identity as the Six-Tails Jinchuriki provided no protection.
To these people, he, and even the fearsome tailed beasts of the ninja world, seemed little more than prey.
Utakata gripped his blowpipe tightly, alert and ready.
As tensions approached a breaking point, a shadow clone of Gensou standing on the Demonic Statue's right thumb slowly opened his Rinnegan, turned around, and looked at Utakata.
"Relax. There are no enemies here."
Utakata looked over, momentarily stunned.
"Gensou? A shadow clone or something else? And what's with those eyes?"
Seeing Gensou's purple, ripple-patterned eyes, Utakata was surprised.
Having met Gensou not long ago, Utakata was familiar with his demeanor and tone, confirming that this person was indeed Gensou and not an imposter.
But why did his eyes change?
And what was his connection to the Akatsuki?
Feeling nervous, Utakata had countless questions in his mind.
Fortunately, after Gensou spoke, Kisame and the others relaxed their stances and became more serious.
With the tension lifted, Utakata finally managed to take a deep breath.
Thud!
At that moment, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, Han, who was suspended in mid-air, had his chakra completely extracted.
With no strength left, Han's body fell heavily to the ground, and another eye on the Demonic Statue opened fully.
"Prepare to extract the Six-Tails," Gensou instructed.
"Yes."
Kisame, Kakuzu, Sasori, Deidara, Izumi, and Zetsu replied solemnly.
Then, Gensou gestured for Utakata to step forward without giving him a chance to question and explained:
"While it's generally accepted that Jinchuriki die when a tailed beast is extracted, this doesn't have to be the case."
The Eight-Tails had once left part of its severed tentacle within Killer Bee, allowing him to survive even after the Eight-Tails was extracted.
With Gensou's current understanding and mastery of chakra, he could similarly retain a small portion of the Six-Tails' chakra within Utakata, sustaining his life through Yin-Yang Release.
Even if the Six-Tails were extracted, Utakata would survive.
Utakata, though somewhat aloof, was fundamentally decent.
After being saved by Hotaru, he knew staying here could endanger her, so he tried to leave despite his injuries. Later, after being defeated by Gensou with a single punch, his first thought upon waking was concern for Hotaru's safety, and he even attempted a rescue, fully aware of the power gap.
Additionally, he was now a rogue ninja from the Mist Village.
Gensou bore no personal grudge against him.
Although the Six-Tails had to be extracted, Gensou had no issue sparing his life in the process.
As for Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki…
Being from the Hidden Stone Village, sparing him would be aiding an enemy.
Gensou wasn't that sentimental.
"Once the Six-Tails is extracted, you can live a normal life again," Gensou finally told Utakata.
Utakata nodded firmly.
Given Gensou's power, if he wanted the Six-Tails, there was no need for elaborate measures.
Utakata fully believed everything Gensou said.
He touched his abdomen.
From the beginning, he had always hated his identity as a Jinchuriki.
If the Six-Tails were extracted, and he could live like a normal person, it would be his greatest wish.
Utakata stepped toward the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
Once everything was prepared, Gensou, Kisame, and the others on the ten fingers began forming hand signs again.
In an instant!
The Demonic Statue opened its massive mouth, and Utakata, like Han before him, was lifted into the air, with the chakra of the Six-Tails surging out of his body and pouring into the statue.
Because Utakata cooperated willingly, this extraction process was much faster.
In just half a day…
The fourth eye on the Demonic Statue was about to fully open.
Gensou appeared beside Utakata, waved his hand to retain a small portion of the Six-Tails' chakra within him, placed his right hand on Utakata's chest, and used Yin-Yang Release.
Very quickly.
The Six-Tails extraction was complete, and the fourth eye on the Demonic Statue opened fully.
Utakata, once the Jinchuriki of the Six-Tails, safely descended from the air.
Everything proceeded smoothly.
Now, Gensou had captured the Four-Tails, Five-Tails, Six-Tails, and Seven-Tails using the Demonic Statue.
The tailed beast capture plan would continue!
(End of Chapter)
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