"Your sword!"
Sasuke's voice came from below.
Chiya had already seen it.
Futsu no Mitama flew in front of him and suddenly stopped. A blue-white glow flowed continuously along the blade. The once-familiar patterns were rearranging themselves, and several dim etched marks emerged.
Nine stars lined up along the blade.
Chiya tried to activate the mark in his palm, but the longsword did not respond.
Before he could continue, Futsu no Mitama suddenly turned its edge, its tip pointing straight at the wasteland below!
Clang!
The sword rang out again.
In the distance, Gyūki, who had been moving his body, suddenly froze.
He lowered his head. One tentacle braced against the rock layer had actually become blurred. Dark red Chakra kept spilling from its surface and drifting into the air!
"What's going on?!"
Gyūki immediately pulled back his tentacle.
But the Chakra did not stop leaking. Instead, it rapidly spread across his body. The massive form he had only just gathered showed signs of falling apart again!
Kurama inside Naruto suddenly rose to his feet.
"Naruto! That sword!"
Naruto immediately looked up.
The dark red Chakra had already swept across the wasteland and surged before Futsu no Mitama. Blue-white light spread across the sharp blade. The instant that Chakra touched the edge, it was swiftly drawn inside!
Chiya was stunned as well.
Futsu no Mitama was absorbing Gyūki!
He looked at his still-glowing palm. He had only wanted to stop the sword just now. He had never ordered it to absorb a Tailed Beast!
A furious roar suddenly came from below.
Gyūki viciously drove his tentacles into the ground and sank his massive body backward, trying to break free of the pull.
Rumble!
Huge slabs of rock were torn up, rubble rolling down to either side.
Yet his body continued