"Finally reached Stage Eight?"
Kitagawa Minamoto stared at his updated status panel, his expression somewhat indescribable.
After working tirelessly for so long, he had finally brought the Source of the Divine Tree to near completion!
And this time, the upgrade to the Source of the Divine Tree had delivered some unexpected surprises.
"However, this 'unleashable' feature seems quite intriguing..."
Minamoto took a deep breath, feeling the changes in the Divine Tree beneath his feet.
The Divine Tree now seemed to possess vitality, a stark contrast to the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path he had seen before.
The Demonic Statue resembled a lifeless object, its skin like the withered bark of a dead tree, with numerous stump-like protrusions on its back.
Although it possessed nine eyes, those eyes were dull and lifeless. Even though it contained life energy, it still exuded a sense of death and decay.
"But my Source of the Divine Tree is entirely different."
Minamoto's Divine Tree was brimming with vitality. Its massive trunk was lush with branches and leaves, and the overwhelming life energy it radiated was truly awe-inspiring.
At the top of the tree, a flower bud was on the verge of blooming, its contained Chakra so potent it made one's heart tremble.
"Just one more Tailed Beast, and the flower will bloom. Once that happens, the Divine Tree will likely awaken the Rinnegan. And then, I..."
Minamoto touched his forehead, feeling the close connection between the budding flower and the power within him. Perhaps he was just one step away from achieving something entirely new!
"Take it slow. But if this thing is released, it might be even more impressive than True Several Thousand Hands."
Shaking his head, Minamoto looked at the giant tree beneath him, feeling a moment of daze.
The True Several Thousand Hands, with its kilometer-high stature, was already capable of blotting out the sky. But this thing was even more terrifying!
"Even if it doesn't compare to the Divine Tree from the Fourth Great Ninja War, whose roots covered the battlefield and whose canopy reached the clouds, mine shouldn't be far behind. I just wonder what it will look like when summoned."
As he pondered, the giant tree beneath him suddenly began to move.
The massive trunk intertwined, and the towering flower bud at the top slowly closed. The endless roots converged onto his body, instantly transforming into limbs. A tall figure stood on the desert sands, causing the ground to collapse in an instant.
Behind it, ten tails appeared swiftly, and with just a gentle flick, the tails seemed capable of stirring the heavens and earth!
"Truly..."
Standing atop the head of the Ten-Tails, Minamoto felt, for the first time, as though he himself was "too insignificant."
This sensation was something he had never experienced, even while standing atop the True Several Thousand Hands.
"The Chakra aura has completely changed. This is pure natural energy now..."
Minamoto murmured softly. He had always been adept at Sage Mode, mastering the power of nature exceptionally well. But the Chakra of the Ten-Tails was truly extraordinary!
"However, no eyes?"
Looking down, Minamoto observed the sides of the Ten-Tails' face, noticing that its eyes were tightly shut. This sight left him both amused and exasperated.
It seemed that his "Source of the Divine Tree," transformed into the Ten-Tails, was completely linked to him. Since he didn't have eyes, this Ten-Tails didn't either. It would have to wait until the budding flower opened, at which point the Ten-Tails might finally gain eyes.
"Does this count as a defective product?"
Minamoto couldn't help but joke. But remembering that Nagato's summoned Demonic Statue of the Outer Path also lacked eyes, he felt a bit more balanced.
"Moreover, Nagato's statue constantly drains his energy, whereas mine doesn't need that at all. This is truly mine!"
ROAR—
As if responding to his thoughts, the Ten-Tails let out a thunderous roar. Immediately, a massive energy sphere began to form at its mouth.
It was the Ten-Tails' Tailed Beast Ball!
The immense energy fluctuations were soul-stirring. The purple sphere slowly turned red, and its form began to change.
It transformed into something resembling a "droplet," floating in mid-air.
BOOM—
In the next moment, the Tailed Beast Ball shot out, flying straight into the distance. Then, a massive explosion accompanied by a mushroom cloud and blazing flames erupted within Amenominaka!
"Not bad at all."
Feeling the shockwave rushing toward him, Minamoto nodded in satisfaction. The changes brought by the Source of the Divine Tree far exceeded his expectations. Moreover, the transformations it brought to him personally were equally significant!
SWISH—
With a thought, six Truth-Seeking Orbs appeared behind him. These orbs hovered in a neat formation behind him, their number increased due to this latest upgrade!
"Six now, huh."
Minamoto murmured softly, feeling a bit surprised. This upgrade had actually increased his bloodline development rate by 2%.
But upon reflection, it seemed reasonable. The "Source of the Divine Tree" hadn't advanced in stages for quite some time. Although he had been feeding it Ōtsutsuki Chakra, its rank had remained stagnant.
"This time, it seems to have unleashed the accumulated power, giving me a proper reward."
Moreover, his enhancements weren't limited to this. Physically, he was gradually embodying the traits of the Ōtsutsuki.
"The improvements brought by the 'core domain' of the Divine Tree are likely the most significant."
Minamoto could already sense that his eyes had ceased absorbing Chakra, and new power seemed to be brewing.
Not only that, he had gained a new dojutsu!
"Yomotsu Hirasaka? Not bad at all."
Minamoto had already mastered all the abilities of the Tenseigan, as well as the fundamental powers of the Rinnegan, excluding "Rinne Rebirth."
He had even acquired techniques like "Energy Extraction," specialized in drawing out energy.
Originally, he thought he wouldn't gain any more dojutsu, and his highest expectations were for additional "Divine Techniques." To his surprise, a new ability had emerged!
"This is good. It differentiates me from Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki in terms of spatial ninjutsu. But isn't this supposed to be a Kekkei Mōra ability?"
Minamoto scratched his head, feeling somewhat puzzled. But upon reflection, he remembered that his Tenseigan had also allowed him to use techniques ahead of their corresponding stages.
Whether it was "Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion" or "Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion," he had utilized them ahead of schedule. Thus, the appearance of "Yomotsu Hirasaka" wasn't entirely unexpected.
"Still, my greatest demand in terms of dojutsu is for those 'Divine Techniques.'"
The power of Divine Techniques was undeniable. Although he hadn't used "Yomotsu Hirasaka" yet, its might was already imaginable.
With further upgrades to his Tenseigan, new Divine Techniques might emerge as well!
"Moreover, once my Rinnegan is fully nurtured through the collection of Tailed Beast Chakra, my Divine Techniques will only increase."
Thinking about this, his mood improved even further.
Ōtsutsuki Shibai possessed an absurd number of Divine Techniques. Currently, Minamoto had only mastered "Yomotsu Hirasaka," and there was still a significant gap.
"Additionally, the most exciting aspect is the accelerated fusion of Chakra."
Kekkei Mōra was something he had always been waiting for, and its power was what he desired most.
"Madara Uchiha, Obito Uchiha, Nagato, and Isshiki... my future..."
"Will depend on all of you!"
"Finally, it's over!"
Time passed quickly, and several days later, Naruto finally completed his training!
His situation was different from the original story, as the circumstances within him were more complex.
But the boy had truly given it his all, perhaps motivated by the challenges he had recently faced.
He overcame numerous obstacles, finally completing the process of "facing himself" and mastering the Tailed Beast's power.
Moreover, he had reconstructed a Chakra channel, ensuring that his parents within him wouldn't be affected.
"Alright! Now I won't hold you guys back anymore!"
Naruto clenched his fists, unable to contain his excitement. This prompted Minamoto to roll his eyes.
"Idiot. Is controlling one Tailed Beast so difficult? And is the Nine-Tails really that strong? I heard Madara Uchiha used to thrash the Nine-Tails, didn't he?"
"Y-you..."
Hearing this, the excitement on Naruto's face instantly vanished.
He wanted to curse, but didn't dare. Besides, he had heard from the First Hokage about Madara beating the Nine-Tails.
Even the First Hokage himself had defeated the Nine-Tails.
And considering that Minamoto had shattered a Susanoo with a single kick, and had defeated the One-Tail three years ago, perhaps the Nine-Tails wasn't that impressive after all?
"Tch, idiot."
Sasuke couldn't help but mutter, which immediately energized Naruto, who had been hesitant to speak.
"You bastard! I'm definitely stronger than you now!"
"Hmph, that remains to be seen."
Sasuke snorted lightly, glancing at Naruto with a turbulent heart, before speaking.
"What Madara Uchiha could do, I can do too. Don't get too cocky."
"Tch, I'm not afraid of you!"
"We're in Iwagakure now, so it's not appropriate to fight. Shall we test it when we get back?"
"Let's do it! Who's afraid of whom?"
"Idiot."
"You bastard..."
Sasuke and Naruto, these two, would always start arguing at the slightest provocation. Watching this, Jiraiya could only scratch his head.
Shaking his head helplessly, he turned to Minamoto, who had been enjoying the spectacle, and said:
"The reconstruction of Iwagakure is almost complete, and we've been away for a while. Shouldn't we head back?"
"You're the team leader, why ask me?"
Minamoto tilted his head, looking at Jiraiya with a smile.
"Hey, did Ōnoki say something to make you think this way? Are you that eager for the Third Hokage to pass away?"
"..."
"Come on, let me hear you call me 'Lord Hokage'?"
"..."
Jiraiya felt his headache worsening. He spoke with frustration:
"You've never been cute, even as a child. Fine, I'll personally visit the Tsuchikage tomorrow to bid farewell."
"Isn't that simple?"
Minamoto nodded, then stretched lazily.
"Finally, we can go back. I've been waiting for a long time. But the one who's probably waited the longest is the Second Hokage. He seems to have been sending messages asking about us."
"Lord Second must be at his wit's end by now."
Jiraiya found this somewhat amusing. Originally, they should have switched to a new body for the Impure World Reincarnation, but Minamoto had abruptly interrupted that plan.
"But their increased strength is a good thing. We have far too many troubles."
"Say, what if I were to awaken the Fourth Hokage—the real Fourth Hokage and his wife—what do you think would happen?"
Suddenly, Minamoto looked at Jiraiya with curiosity. This question left Jiraiya momentarily stunned.
"Minato? You mean... but his soul is in the Death God's stomach. This..."
"There are always methods. Every technique has a counter; the difference is whether we've discovered it or not."
"You've found one?"
"I just want to ask: would you like to try?"
The real Minato?
For Jiraiya, there was no need to ponder this question!
Minato and Kushina's Chakra had always been within Naruto. Although Chakra, in some sense, represented a person, its essence was fundamentally different.
If it were truly possible, he would absolutely support it!
"Are you confident? We can't take unnecessary risks."
Jiraiya's expression turned serious as he asked quietly. But Minamoto simply smiled confidently.
"I never do anything without confidence. After all, I'm still quite young."
The issue with Minato Namikaze had actually been resolved long ago, and the greatest risk had been eliminated.
Besides, what Minamoto wanted wasn't just this!
Obito Uchiha was on the verge of becoming "Ōtsutsuki Obito," and Minamoto naturally wanted to prepare a "grand gift" for him.
"But the real trouble is actually here..."
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