Slaying!

The Eight-Tails' chakra was extremely violent.

In his partially transformed state, Fū's every strike was like a mountain collapsing and the earth cracking.

Kagami Uchiha's figure darted like a butterfly through flowers, leaping amidst the chaotic energy.

"You have powerful chakra but can't use it properly."

"Abandoning the way of the ninja to take on this monstrous form only makes you look more clumsy."

"Insufficient speed, sluggish reactions, someone like you..."

"Are you even worthy of living as a ninja?"

Kagami Uchiha's words were like gleaming knives, deeply piercing Fū's heart.

This caused his consciousness to be further eroded by the Tailed Beast's chakra, gradually losing his reason as rage filled his mind.

ROAR!!!

Terrifying chakra spread out from Fū, stirring up tidal waves and whipping up hurricanes!

Kagami Uchiha held his blade, unleashing invisible slashes that carved a path through the storm.

His voice, like a demon's whisper, fell clearly into Fū's ears.

"You were chosen as a Jinchuriki precisely because you were outstanding enough, sacrificing yourself for the village."

"What did you gain from making such a sacrifice?"

"Cold stares, rejection, alienation."

"You're a hero, yet you're treated like a disaster!"

From the very beginning, Fū had never dared to meet Kagami Uchiha's Sharingan directly.

The Uchiha's fame was widespread; direct eye contact was absolutely forbidden in a one-on-one fight.

This also led to him being unable to accurately pinpoint Kagami Uchiha's location.

However, genjutsu wasn't necessarily cast through the eyes, was it?

Genjutsu was a technique where chakra interfered with the opponent's five senses, plunging them into illusion.

Visual-based Dojutsu genjutsu was the most powerful and difficult to dispel on one's own.

Furthermore, the senses of smell, hearing, and touch could all trigger genjutsu.

Kagami Uchiha was precisely using his words to cast genjutsu on Fū.

Little by little, through subtle influence, it seeped into the Tailed Beast's chakra, disrupting Fū's mind.

This required extremely high skill and the Sharingan's ultimate perception.

A normal Elite Jonin would surely realize this and dispel the genjutsu themselves.

But Fū's current state was too compromised.

Ever since becoming a Jinchuriki, he had been under immense psychological pressure, utterly exhausted.

When not on missions, he even needed medication to calm himself.

Someone like that was far too susceptible to genjutsu.

"Shut up!"

"Shut up!!"

Deafening roars erupted from his monstrous maw; Fū's mind was on the verge of collapse.

As the saying goes, the more the enemy resists, the more you know you're doing the right thing.

Kagami Uchiha pressed his advantage, his words like a caress against Fū's scalp.

"Kumogakure is just using you. If they saw you as a comrade, why would they abandon you?"

"You know perfectly well they just see you as a weapon. Isn't the purpose of your visit here to test the Eight-Tails' abilities?"

More and more Tailed Beast chakra overflowed, forming ghastly white bones on Fū's crimson exterior.

This was a sign of the Tailed Beast about to go berserk.

The Tailed Beast would directly go berserk when the Jinchuriki's mind was at its weakest. If the seal were completely broken, it would mean the Jinchuriki's death.

Black curse marks appeared on Fū's chest, with a clear character for "Iron" in the center.

The Iron Armor Seal was a technique used by Kumogakure to seal the Eight-Tails.

Several of the sealing characters bore the style of Uzumaki Sealing Jutsu.

It wasn't surprising; the Land of Whirlpools was jointly destroyed by several nations precisely to plunder the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques.

What else could they do when the First Hokage gave them Tailed Beasts but no matching beast chains?

Mito Uzumaki's assistance to Hashirama in sealing the Nine-Tails set an example for other villages.

Innocent people are condemned for their possessions.

Kagami Uchiha had also learned some sealing jutsu from Minato, so it wouldn't be difficult to break this seal.

In fact, if Fū continued to maintain his current state, the Eight-Tails would soon break free from the seal on its own.

However...

"Gyuki! You can hear me, right!"

"What's the point of breaking free from your current shackles? Kumogakure will just seal you again!"

"Put yourself in a desperate situation to find a way to survive. Die with Fū, he can find release, and you can be reborn!"

Karakala...

More and more white skeletons formed, and terrifying chakra rose like smoke, reaching directly into the sky.

The Eight-Tails' chakra completely overwhelmed Fū's consciousness...

In Kagami Uchiha's view, a perfect Jinchuriki was superior to a single Tailed Beast, and superior to partial Tailed Beast Transformation.

The current Eight-Tails and Fū were mutually restraining each other, and their combined strength was far less than that of a single Tailed Beast.

If the Eight-Tails completely broke the seal, things would become very troublesome.

Kagami Uchiha had no intention of becoming the Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki. Even if they defeated the Eight-Tails, they would be used as bargaining chips by the Third Hokage and the others.

Even if Konoha took a hard line and forcibly kept the Eight-Tails, it wouldn't be the Uchiha clan's turn to be the Jinchuriki.

What Kagami Uchiha had planned from the beginning was to kill the Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki and make Konoha and Kumogakure enemies.

An earlier outbreak of war would force Konoha to send the Uchiha clan to the front lines.

War was the nourishment of the Uchiha clan. Some sacrifices in exchange for greater power were worth it.

Slap!

Kagami Uchiha pressed close to Fū's back, his hand directly on the scorching chakra.

"Didn't the Sage of Six Paths give chakra to people in the first place to create bonds between them!"

"Gyuki! Only I!"

"Can liberate you from endless restraint!"

The formation of white bones slowed down.

"Who... are you? Why do you know my name?"

Except for the first few decades, Gyuki had never mentioned his name to anyone for nearly a thousand years since.

Tailed Beasts had also tried to coexist peacefully with humans, but due to human desires, the world was constantly at war, and people often tried to seize their power.

Over time, while humans came to hate Tailed Beasts, the Tailed Beasts also began to hate humans.

"Kagami Uchiha, our ancestor was Indra, the son of the Sage of Six Paths. These Sharingan are proof!"

"The clan stone tablet clearly records the names of all nine of you. Our ancestor considered you to be like brothers."

Kagami Uchiha was lying through his teeth.

"Is that so... I know these eyes..."

The Eight-Tails had not experienced the dark period controlled by Uchiha Madara, so it didn't have a bad impression of the Sharingan.

It had also heard that one of the Sage of Six Paths' sons had inherited his Dojutsu.

"I have never died. I don't know how long it will take to revive, or where I will revive."

"I will never trust humans again, even if you are a descendant of Indra!"

Boom!!

A skeletal arm sent Kagami Uchiha flying!

As he was sent flying backward, a strange smile appeared on Kagami Uchiha's lips.

Where he had just placed his hand, there was a sealing technique.

He had never expected to persuade the Eight-Tails to die with words. He had used the time while talking to reinforce the Iron Armor Seal.

This brought the seal to a critical point, preventing the Eight-Tails from breaking free for the time being, and Fū from regaining consciousness.

Swish!!!

An invisible slash severed a giant chakra tail that was gradually taking on the form of an octopus tentacle!

"Bastard!!"

Kagami Uchiha ignored the roar from the Eight-Tails.

The three tomoe in his eyes spun wildly, the dense crimson seeming as if it would bleed.

"Eight"

A fatal slash, adjusted according to the curse level and strength.

With his Sharingan Dojutsu Power, Kagami Uchiha developed One Blade: Cicada's Chill, which could even slash souls.

Even Sukuna could only use "Eight" after making contact with a living being if his Domain Expansion wasn't active.

The existence of Chakra made up for this flaw.

The Sage of Six Paths had hoped to connect people's hearts with Chakra, but that proved to be merely a pipe dream.

Chakra had become a deadly weapon, a weapon for slaying others!

Kagami Uchiha extended one hand, palm open, as if he had thrown something.

Thump.

A heartbeat.

Screeeech—

A piercing shriek exploded through the air.

Air.

Time.

Space.

Everything was cut apart!

"Blade Release"

"Across Worlds"

The ultimate, pure Slash.

The world seemed to split in two.

A clear crack appeared between the horns of the half-Tailed Beast Transformation.