Currently, Shigure held within him the power of both the Three-Tails and the Six-Tails.
The passive skill that absorbed and refined Chakra from the Tailed Beasts was already accelerating the process of gathering the One-Tail's energy.
Though not even three days had passed, Shigure was already close to acquiring the complete Chakra of Shukaku, the One-Tail.
Time ticked by, minute after minute.
It wasn't a long wait objectively, but for Shigure—sitting in stillness, feeling the Chakra flows—it felt like an eternity.
"One-Tail Shukaku Chakra: 98.8%"
"One-Tail Shukaku Chakra: 98.9%"
"One-Tail Shukaku Chakra: 99%..."
Finally, after half an hour of silent anticipation—
"One-Tail Shukaku Chakra: 100%"
In that instant, Shigure felt a fresh surge of power bloom within him—wild, ancient, and vast. The Chakra of the One-Tail had fully integrated into his being.
At the same time, the Three-Tails and Six-Tails within him stirred uneasily, sensing the familiar but distant aura of their fellow Tailed Beast.
Yet, something about it confused them.
Shukaku's Chakra was there—but Shukaku himself was not.
There was no consciousness behind the energy. It was an empty vessel, stripped of will.
The two Beasts wanted to probe further, but before they could, a calm, commanding cough echoed in their minds.
"Ahem."
The Great Sage.
At once, the Three-Tails and Six-Tails recoiled in instinctive submission, retreating quietly into the depths of Shigure's mindscape.
Great Sage: Congratulations, Host. You have successfully acquired the complete Chakra of Shukaku.
So this is the full power of the One-Tail...
Even without its consciousness, the sheer density of its Chakra was overwhelming.
'That makes three now,' Shigure thought. 'The Three-Tails, the Six-Tails, and the One-Tail's Chakra—though without its mind.'
Great Sage: Shall I take over control of Shukaku's Chakra?
Shigure considered for a moment. Shukaku's energy lacked awareness. Controlling raw Tailed Beast Chakra manually was like wrestling a storm—it could be done, but it was inefficient and draining.
Allowing the Great Sage to regulate it would make everything smoother.
'Do it.'
Immediately, the nature of the Chakra shifted.
Where once it had burned like fire—volatile and heavy—it now flowed gently, like a calm river, harmonizing with his own Chakra network.
Under the Great Sage's guidance, the One-Tail's power moved autonomously, responsive to Shigure's thoughts without direct effort.
And as that connection stabilized, Shigure noticed something peculiar—his control over sand-like particles had increased.
Behind him, a spectral tail formed—Shukaku's tail.
Opening his eyes, Shigure looked back and smirked.
"So… I've become a Ten-Tails Jinchūriki now, huh?"
A unique one at that.
Great Sage: With control over Shukaku's Chakra established, your efficiency in handling Tailed Beast energy has improved. I can now assist in utilizing your full range of abilities.
'My full range of abilities? So you can use my Cloud Release techniques too?'
Great Sage: Correct.
As soon as it spoke, a wisp of pale mist curled into existence beside Shigure. The vapor didn't come from his own Chakra flow—it was released automatically by the Great Sage manipulating his Tailed Beast energy.
Shigure's eyes brightened with realization.
That meant the Great Sage could handle maintenance-based techniques, freeing him to focus purely on offense, transformation, and refinement.
He could alter the properties of his Cloud Mist—make it harder than steel, or diffuse it into acid or freezing fog.
What once required constant attention could now be automated—and amplified.
'By the way,' Shigure thought, 'if you can manipulate the One-Tail's Chakra like this, can you create an automatic defense—something like Gaara's sand shield?'
Great Sage: Naturally. However, I recommend basing it on your Cloud Release instead of sand. Cloud Mist can shift states freely, and its hardness and toughness surpass that of ordinary sand.
'An automatic Cloud defense?'
Shigure grinned. 'That'll do perfectly.'
Great Sage: Cloud Defense has been activated.
'Just like that? No complex formation or hand seals?'
Great Sage: Negative. The Cloud Mist Solidification Technique merely requires control and activation. I will handle all processes continuously.
To test it, Shigure drew a kunai and thrust it toward his own arm.
The weapon struck—but just before impact, a thin veil of condensed mist appeared, shimmering faintly like crystal.
Clang!
The kunai shattered instantly, fragments scattering across the ground.
Shigure flexed his arm, eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
The defensive layer had solidified seamlessly, instinctively, faster than any conscious reaction.
A smile tugged at his lips.
"With this... no attack's getting through easily."
The results were remarkable.
With the Great Sage's assistance, battle had become far more effortless for Shigure.
At times, he didn't even need to act—his enemies could be subdued directly by the Great Sage manipulating Shukaku's Chakra on his behalf.
The only inconvenience was that whenever Shukaku's Chakra was activated, Shigure's body emitted distinct Tailed Beast energy fluctuations.
And the longer the Great Sage drew upon that power, the more visible Shukaku's tail became behind him.
A minor issue, perhaps—but troublesome all the same.
Still, the benefits far outweighed the drawbacks.
Shukaku's Chakra possessed an innate sealing quality.
When combined with Cloud Release and infused with Magnet Release properties, the resulting effect didn't just strengthen the seal—it dramatically enhanced the density and durability of Shigure's cloud constructs.
It wasn't a fusion of Ninjutsu, but rather a layered amplification—one ability stacked atop another.
"Perfect," Shigure murmured, a satisfied smile curving his lips.
"This is like giving Cloud Release a disguised power-up."
At this moment, Shigure held the Chakra of three Tailed Beasts within his body—the One-Tail, the Three-Tails, and the Six-Tails.
He was the first person in the entire Ninja World to achieve such a feat.
Six more remained.
If he could gather the Chakra of all nine Tailed Beasts, his strength would reach an unimaginable level.
The thought alone stirred excitement in his chest.
But there was no need to rush.
Most of the remaining Tailed Beasts were still sealed safely within their respective villages. Extracting their Chakra would be anything but easy.
For now, there was something more pressing—he needed to find Tsunade.
He had to save Yuyuri, the talented Lightning Release kunoichi who was still in critical condition.
Her potential was far too great to be lost.
He'd depart tomorrow.
Haku would stay behind to care for Yuyuri, while Shigure would set out to locate Tsunade himself.
The only problem—he had no idea where Tsunade currently was.
Even recalling the details from the original timeline offered no clues about her exact location.
'I need a wide-area search-type Ninjutsu,' he thought, tapping his chin.
His current Cloud Fish technique wasn't suitable.
Its range was limited, and Tsunade wasn't exactly hiding underwater.
He needed something that could search from above—something capable of scanning vast regions of land.
'Great Sage, any ideas?'
Great Sage: Cloud Release is the most suitable foundation for developing a search-type Ninjutsu.
'Cloud Release, huh... Then what form should it take? If it's going to fly through the air, I'll need something agile and inconspicuous—like a bird. What do you suggest?'
Great Sage: A white dove.
Shigure blinked. "A dove?"
He considered it.
A dove's snow-white body would blend perfectly with Cloud Release, allowing it to merge seamlessly with mist and clouds.
Small, swift, and inconspicuous—it was ideal for reconnaissance.
'Good choice,' Shigure decided.
'Let's create it. No restrictions on range—make it as wide as possible. Even if it consumes extra Chakra, I don't care.'
After all, he now carried the Chakra of three Tailed Beasts.
Even discounting his own reserves, his total energy output was immense—an ocean of power flowing within him.
A bit more consumption was a trivial price to pay.
...
TN:
🔟 Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin (Support me! 😊)