Taking Over Yagura, the Miracle of Stripping Genjutsu

He never engaged in meaningless destruction. Since Yagura still contained Isobu and its immense reserves of chakra, he naturally intended to make full use of it.

As for the long-held belief in the Shinobi World that a jinchuriki would inevitably die after having their tailed beast extracted, he considered it nothing more than a limitation weaklings had no choice but to accept.

Ye responded in his mind. The instant the option was completed, a vast amount of knowledge flooded into his head.

The internal structure of tailed beast seals, the methods of chakra circulation, and techniques for stabilizing the soul and body rapidly unfolded within the depths of his consciousness.

He soon completely absorbed the intricate hand seals and chakra pathways as well. They sank into his physical instincts, leaving behind no trace of unfamiliarity.

After walking up to the still-convulsing Yagura, Ye did not bend down. He merely opened his left eye.

The rapidly spinning crimson Mangekyō Sharingan immediately shifted to a dark gold, and Kuninotokotachi activated at that moment.

The formidable spiritual power erupting from his left eye drove straight into Yagura's forehead, invading his already severely damaged brain.

What still lingered around the mental center were remnants of Obito's genjutsu, but they did not last even a moment before being crushed and erased by the law-infused ocular power.

Yagura's constantly twitching limbs immediately stilled. His rolled-back eyes slowly closed, and his tightly furrowed brow finally relaxed.

But this was far from over.

Ye raised his right hand, palm facing down, and held it over the seal on Yagura's abdomen.

Azure chakra flowed from his palm and intertwined, quickly forming a complex dark-blue jutsu formula.

Only after confirming that the formula had taken shape did he press his palm against the center of the seal.

"Release."

The deep, violent roar of a colossal beast came from within Yagura's body. The sound waves swept through the surroundings, making the scattered stones on the ground bounce one after another.

Immediately afterward, Ye forcibly extracted an astonishing mass of dark-blue chakra from Yagura's abdomen. As it churned, the outline of a heavy turtle shell gradually emerged.

Moisture in the air rapidly gathered, turning into a fine spiritual rain that fell throughout the ruined Mizukage's office.

The Three-Tails' essence, freshly pulled from its host, immediately struggled madly. The destructive chakra accumulated within it continuously surged outward, making even the surrounding walls tremble faintly.

Without giving it any room to resist, Ye directly opened the System Space. A rift split open and completely swallowed the tailed beast essence brimming with tremendous energy.

The dark-blue chakra vanished completely, and the crushing pressure shrouding the ruins dispersed with it. The spiritual rain in midair gradually ceased.

Ao, who had maintained his Byakugan the entire time, stood at the rear with veins bulging around his right eye, seeing every detail of the process clearly.

It was not only his hands that were trembling. Cold sweat rolled down the sides of his face, and the clothing on his back was already drenched through.

"Th-This is impossible!"

Unable to restrain himself any longer, Ao blurted out in shock, his voice nearly breaking.

Terumi Mei immediately turned to look at him, her brows tightly furrowed. Chojuro instinctively gripped his sword hilt and shifted his gaze to Ao's face.

Ao raised a hand and pointed at Yagura on the ground. His breathing was rapid, and his chest heaved ever more sharply.

"Once a jinchuriki has their tailed beast extracted, they will definitely die on the spot."

His hand remained frozen in midair, yet the chakra flow within his Byakugan's vision could not possibly be false.

"But Lord Mizukage's life force... it hasn't been extinguished!"

"His vital signs are weak, but stable. Those shattered chakra pathways... are also being protected by some special force!"

When Terumi Mei looked back at Ye's figure, her throat tightened slightly, and her clenched hand gradually loosened.

A jinchuriki who had undergone tailed beast extraction had actually survived. Such a method, one that shattered the common sense of the Shinobi World, had already exceeded the limits of her understanding.

No longer daring to stare directly into Ye's left eye, Terumi Mei lowered her gaze slightly. Her earlier rage was replaced by a far heavier awe.

Yagura's brow had smoothed out, and his face had regained its peace. Though his breathing was weak, he no longer convulsed.

This man, who had been tortured by genjutsu for years, had finally broken free of every restraint just as his life neared its end.

Ignoring the cries of shock behind him, Ye reached out and picked up the Mizukage's hat that had fallen onto the broken desk, casually weighing it in his hand twice.

He then turned to face Terumi Mei, flipped his wrist, and tossed the hat symbolizing the Mizukage's authority onto the dust-covered ground.

The hat rolled twice, its edge scraping against rubble before finally stopping by Terumi Mei's feet.

Looking down at the woman before him, Ye spoke directly.

"Now, the Land of Water belongs to me."

"You, which side will you choose?"

The Mizukage's hat Ye had casually tossed rolled several times across the dust-covered stone floor before finally stopping beside Terumi Mei's feet.

The character for water on top of the hat was smeared with mud, its once-bright color dulled.

Sea wind poured through the massive hole in the roof and into the ruined office, making everyone's clothing flutter continuously.

Terumi Mei lowered her head and stared at the hat representing the Land of Water's highest authority, her emerald eyes unmoving for a long time.

Ao and Chojuro, standing behind her, held their breath. Even swallowing had become exceptionally difficult.

What had completely shattered their understanding of power was everything that had just occurred.

With only a few moves, the black-haired man before them had broken one arm of the masked man who had driven Kirigakure into the abyss, forcing him to flee in panic.

Then, he had used a method that defied the common sense of the Shinobi World, forcibly removing the genjutsu controlling Yagura's mind and preserving Yagura's life even after extracting the Three-Tails' essence.

Such power had long surpassed the realm ordinary shinobi could ever reach.

Terumi Mei knew very well that if she dared utter even half a word of refusal, every Hidden Mist Village shinobi standing in this office today would likely become a corpse.

The village's future and the lives of her companions behind her all rested on her next sentence.

After slowly inhaling, Terumi Mei gradually exhaled all the stale air from her chest, her chest rising and falling with the motion.

She closed her eyes and suppressed every last trace of pride she possessed as one in a position of authority.

When she opened them again, only resolve remained in those emerald eyes.

After taking half a step forward, Terumi Mei's skirt brushed over the Mizukage's hat on the floor. Her right leg then bent, and one knee struck the hard stone floor heavily.

"Kirigakure... is willing to swear loyalty to you."

Terumi Mei bowed her head and paused for a moment before her clear voice echoed through the ruins.

"We are willing to recognize you as the new Mizukage. We only ask that you preserve Kirigakure's structure and leave the village's elderly, weak, women, and children... a way to survive."

By saying those words, Terumi Mei had already lowered Kirigakure's stance as far as it could go.

Ao pressed his lips together and remained silent for a moment before finally following her lead and dropping to one knee.

Chojuro hurriedly sheathed his shinobi sword before kneeling behind the two of them.

The three lowering their heads together left only the grim silence of shifting power within the ruined office.