Chapter 22: Shifting Tides
When Black Zetsu heard Uchiha Obito's words, it chuckled darkly. A gift, indeed—one meant to establish dominance over Nagato from the outset. The Six-Tails, a beast that had challenged both Akira and now served Obito's purpose, was to be a tool of intimidation.
"Lord Madara," Black Zetsu continued, its voice oily, "the Uchiha clan has produced several formidable shinobi in recent years. For our long-term plans to proceed unhindered, I believe they warrant… observation."
"The Uchiha…" Obito murmured, the name stirring complex echoes in his masked heart. After a pause, he dismissed the thought. "The Uchiha can wait. Securing Nagato takes priority."
"What is Nagato's current status?" Obito asked, shifting focus.
"Hehehe…" Black Zetsu's laugh was a dry rustle. "He still follows that fool Yahiko, wandering the Land of Rain, preaching mutual understanding and peace. A naive dreamer."
"Naivety makes for easier control," Obito stated flatly. "First, we secure the Six-Tails. Then we pay a visit to the Land of Rain."
"Lord Madara, with Yahiko present, Nagato may not be easily swayed," Black Zetsu cautioned.
Obito let out a dismissive scoff. "In an environment like the Rain, idealists like Yahiko have short lifespans. That is a certainty." His single visible eye narrowed. "Are the major villages still skirmishing there?"
White Zetsu, who had been standing silently, answered. "Yes, Lord Madara. Small-scale conflicts continue. Interestingly, Konoha's Root operatives under Danzo are particularly active in the region."
"Danzo…" Obito nodded slowly, a plan crystallizing. "He can be useful. A catalyst, perhaps, to fully turn Nagato to our side at the critical moment." He straightened. "But first, the beast."
With that, Uchiha Obito vanished from the cavern. The intangibility and speed granted by Kamui were profound; single-eyed Kamui was only marginally slower than Minato's Flying Thunder God. Dual Kamui surpassed even that.
In the next instant, he stood atop a giant tree in the deep, untamed forests on the Fire Country's border. Dozens of meters ahead, the massive, pale, slug-like form of the Six-Tails rested, its mucus glistening.
The moment Obito saw Saiken, Saiken saw him.
Panic, raw and unmistakable, flashed across the tailed beast's features. It had felt that malevolent chakra and ocular pressure not long ago. What this new human radiated was even more potent, more oppressive.
"Beast. Submit to the light of the Mangekyō."
Obito's eye blazed. The Six-Tails, poised to flee, froze solid, its consciousness violently dragged into the illusory world forged by the supreme Sharingan.
Obito appeared directly above its head. Space around the colossal creature warped. The entire titanic body of the Six-Tails liquefied and was sucked seamlessly into the Kamui dimension.
With Hashirama's cells bolstering him, Obito's Mangekyō power far exceeded the ordinary. It approached the level of the Eternal Mangekyō, making the long-term domination of a tailed beast a trivial feat.
Back in Konoha, Uchiha Akira waited patiently for the specialized cultivation equipment he had ordered. He was entirely unaware that the prize he had contemplated was already in another's grasp. Had he known, he might have merely shrugged in resignation. Uchiha Obito, enhanced by Senju cells and aided by the pervasive White Zetsu, was a variable almost impossible to counter once he set his sights on a target.
Several days later, the equipment arrived. Akira carefully placed the preserved segment of the Six-Tails' tail into the cultivation chamber and activated the preservation seals. Cultivating tailed beast tissue was possible, as proven by others, but it had limits. Growing an entire new beast from a sample was a fantasy; the chakra and biological matrix would degrade over generations of replication.
With the sample secured, Akira turned his focus to a new study: sealing techniques.
While the Uchiha were no match for the Uzumaki in this art, they were not ignorant. Their Sharingan had copied many jutsu over generations, including foundational and intermediate sealing methods. The Uchiha's signature Uchiha Flame Formation was a powerful barrier technique born from their sealing knowledge—a B-rank jutsu strong enough to briefly hold even the full Eight-Tails.
Using his status, Akira gained access to the clan's archival scrolls on fuinjutsu. The Uchiha power structure was simple: strength commanded respect and access. There were no obstructive elders; the strongest led, and contributions were rewarded.
To his surprise, he discovered the clan's archives held more than just basics. Among the scrolls was the Five Elements Seal, a highly advanced A-rank technique. Its mastery required proficiency in all five basic chakra natures, making it extraordinarily difficult but correspondingly potent. It was a seal powerful enough to restrain tailed beast chakra, as evidenced in the future by its use to create a pseudo-Jinchuriki.
For Akira, whose affinity mastery was broad, this technique was a perfect challenge. He immersed himself in the intricate formulae and chakra patterns, the complex logic of containment and binding. The days blurred as he practiced in solitude.
Ten days passed.
Then, a sound pulled him from his deep focus—a rolling wave of thunderous cheers erupting from the streets of Konoha, growing louder until it seeped through his window. He looked up from his scrolls. Outside, the village was erupting in jubilation. Even within the typically more reserved Uchiha district, people poured into the streets, their faces alight with relief and joy.
A messenger ran past, his voice carrying the news that echoed from every corner:
"The war is over! It's finally over!"
(End of Chapter)
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