Roar~
Six-Tails continued to struggle, but its efforts appeared weak and futile.
Two minutes later.
Qingming absorbed 60,000 chakra points from Six-Tails. With a 90% conversion rate, that meant 54,000 points were successfully converted.
This brought Qingming's chakra levels close to overflowing. Without hesitation, he temporarily halted the "Chakra Absorption Technique" and instead performed the Shadow Clone Jutsu!
Poof!
With a burst of chakra smoke, four identical figures appeared in the field.
Instantly, Qingming's chakra levels dropped to less than 30,000 points.
However, Qingming didn't rush to resume absorbing Six-Tails' chakra. Instead, he signaled to the four shadow clones with a look.
Being an extension of his will, the clones immediately understood his intention.
After nodding in acknowledgment, the clones flew off into the distance.
Their task was the same as the four clones Qingming had previously sent out: to find a quiet place to train and digest their chakra reserves.
Once the clones left, Qingming shifted his focus back to Six-Tails. Ignoring Namikaze Minato's curious gaze, he resumed the "Chakra Absorption Technique" and continued draining the beast's chakra.
Six-Tails, initially relieved when Qingming stopped absorbing its chakra, thought it might have one last chance to fight back.
But before it could gather enough energy, Qingming restarted the absorption, leaving Six-Tails furious and feeling toyed with.
Roar~
Angry growls filled the air as Six-Tails writhed in frustration.
Yet, two more minutes passed, and Minato's chakra chains remained tightly bound to the beast. No matter how it struggled, it couldn't break free.
Seeing this, Qingming was finally at ease. While continuing the absorption, he began reflecting on the battle, analyzing gains and losses.
First, his primary goal for joining this fight had been achieved.
He had successfully tested the effectiveness of the "Chakra Absorption Technique" on a tailed beast, ensuring he wouldn't face difficulties utilizing their chakra in the future.
Second, he had evaluated how effective his various jutsu were against a tailed beast.
It became clear that even standard jutsu could harm a tailed beast if their chakra attributes countered the beast's nature.
Meanwhile, more potent jutsu and forbidden techniques—such as "Water Release: Water Severing Wave" and "Wind Release: Rasenshuriken"—could cause significant or even fatal injuries if applied correctly.
This realization was crucial.
Finally, the battle revealed one of Qingming's weaknesses: his lack of reliable methods to subdue and control tailed beasts long-term.
At this thought, Qingming's gaze fell on the eight chakra chains binding Six-Tails.
As he had anticipated earlier, solutions ultimately lay in sealing techniques.
However, he didn't plan to learn such techniques from Namikaze Minato.
If all went well, once he dealt with Danzo, he should acquire a substantial amount of resources, enough to address his shortcomings—including sealing techniques.
This way, there'd be no need to owe anyone a favor.
After all, as everyone knows, favors are the hardest debts to repay. Qingming preferred self-reliance over seeking a teacher.
With these thoughts flashing through his mind, Qingming quickly cleared his head and refocused on his analysis.
That said, there wasn't much more to summarize.
This battle had ended far quicker than he anticipated.
Initially, he had only planned to play a supporting role.
But one decision—one attempt—had abruptly concluded the fight.
Even Qingming himself was caught off guard. Namikaze Minato was likely just as baffled.
As the primary combatant, Minato's contributions seemed almost negligible. Aside from distracting Six-Tails briefly at the start and sealing it at the end, he hadn't had the chance to showcase any other techniques.
Typically, as a combatant with assassin-like traits, Minato would rely on his exceptional combat intelligence and skills to outmaneuver a tailed beast. A significant part of his strategy usually involved summoning toads from Mount Myoboku for assistance.
However, in this battle, Minato hadn't even had time to perform the most basic summoning jutsu before it was over.
Of course, that's not to say Minato did nothing.
For instance, his timely decision to use the Flying Thunder God Jutsu and sealing techniques to suppress Six-Tails was critical.
Indeed, while Qingming's "Wind Release: Rasenshuriken" had inflicted serious damage on Six-Tails, the beast's unique life form made it resilient.
If given even a moment to recover, it could have regained its strength, albeit at reduced capacity.
This would have prolonged the battle significantly, creating more challenges for both Qingming and Minato.
But Minato's sharp instincts and decisive actions didn't allow Six-Tails any chance to recover, leading to a swift conclusion to the fight.
In this sense, it was the combined effort of Qingming and Minato that ended the battle.
Minato's contribution was far from negligible.
As Qingming was lost in thought, Six-Tails finally reached its limit.
"Seal!" x4
Minato and his three shadow clones shouted in unison. The eight chakra chains radiated intense light as sealing scripts came alive, crawling over Six-Tails' body.
Roar~
With a reluctant roar, Six-Tails was fully suppressed by the seals, vanishing into nothingness.
Qingming felt his hand suddenly grow light. Looking down, he saw a delicate, frail-looking child where Six-Tails had once stood.
The child appeared six or seven years old, with soft black hair and tattered clothes, looking worse than a beggar.
But these external details weren't the most concerning.
With his Sharingan, Qingming noticed clear signs of acid corrosion on the child's exposed skin.
The pain must have been excruciating.
Even in a deep coma, the boy's body trembled as if still enduring unbearable torment.
It didn't take much to deduce that this boy was Six-Tails' jinchūriki—Utakata.
Seeing his pitiful state, Qingming began to understand why most jinchūriki bore resentment toward their villages. Villagers' rejection was one reason; being used as weapons was another.
Minato frowned at the sight before him and dismissed his shadow clones.
He approached Utakata, his expression softening with rare hesitation.
Before they set out, Sarutobi Hiruzen had instructed him to capture the target alive if possible and bring him back to Konoha.
Doing so would give Konoha leverage to force Kirigakure into peace negotiations.
But now, Minato was reluctant.
Indeed, capturing Utakata would likely accelerate the war's end. Kirigakure, having already lost Three-Tails, would not want to lose Six-Tails as well.
But…
Looking at the trembling Utakata, Minato couldn't help but think of Uzumaki Kushina. Both were jinchūriki, and their fates weren't all that different.
Kushina herself had almost been sent on a similar mission to Kirigakure.
Minato didn't dare imagine what horrors she might have faced if captured.
Placing himself in Utakata's shoes, Minato couldn't ignore the terror and despair this young boy must be feeling.
Yes, Utakata might eventually be returned to Kirigakure, but the psychological scars would remain.
On the other hand, capturing him could save countless lives by hastening the war's conclusion.
Trading one person's misery for the safety of many—it seemed like an easy choice.
And yet, Minato hesitated.
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