Hokage's Office Tenderness and the Extraction of Nine-Tails Chakra

A tearing pain shot through his fingertips.

The index finger that remained pressed against the surface of the Water Mirror was trembling slightly, beyond his control. The Meridians beneath his skin felt as though they had been pierced by red-hot wires, and every heartbeat brought a burning spasm.

Forcibly controlling Hyuga Hiashi's body across a distance of dozens of kilometers and releasing the "Adamantine Sealing Chains," which fused Wood Release with the power of the Nine-Tails—such godlike precision consumed an astronomical amount of Chakra and mental energy.

Even with Baishi's current physique, he felt waves of fatigue and weakness rising from the depths of his cells.

Almost there...

A cold calculation flashed deep in Baishi's eyes. He slowly raised his eyelids and looked toward the red-haired woman beside him, who stood rooted to the spot in shock.

The timing was perfect.

"Cough... cough, cough!"

He suddenly turned his head and let out a suppressed, violent cough. As he coughed, a thread of crimson blood slowly trickled from the corner of his pale lips. His body swayed slightly, as though he could no longer hold himself up, and he instinctively reached back to brace himself against the completely carbonized desk.

With a muffled bang, charred wood shavings fell rustling to the floor.

That tiny movement struck Kushina's heart like a heavy hammer.

Only a moment ago, she had been immersed in Baishi's godlike power. But the instant she saw the smear of blood at the corner of his mouth, her pupils abruptly contracted. The golden chains filling the sky, the monster pinned in midair and howling, that domineering figure descending like a god... Every stunning image shattered with a roar.

In their place came boundless panic and guilt enough to drown her.

"Baishi!"

Kushina cried out, her voice choked with tears,