Chapter 307: The Gathering of Chakra
"You and Obito are too impatient. This space may be built on your abilities, but its foundation lies in the Gedo Statue and the Virtual Divine Tree."
"If your plans are exposed and those two stop supplying chakra, this space will collapse."
Hikari turned her expressionless gaze toward Tamako and replied coldly, "Do as you wish. If you're fine with your setup being exposed, then go ahead and tell them. Nothing will stop me from seeking revenge."
Now that the Yachihoko had been deployed, the chakra from the Gedo Statue and Divine Tree held little value for her.
Leaving the Akatsuki wouldn't cost her much. The only concern was that the Akatsuki's strength far exceeded hers. Leaving recklessly might compromise her future plans to exact revenge on the ninja world.
As for her own life?
Hikari didn't care.
A tool had no need to value its life. As long as she could inflict irreparable damage on the ninja world before her death, she would die without regret.
Tamako narrowed her eyes at Hikari's response.
The tension between them was almost tangible, the air so thick it felt suffocating.
"Tamako, Hikari."
Nagato's voice cut through the atmosphere, echoing in their ears. "Begin gathering chakra. Prepare to awaken the Gedo Statue."
The oppressive tension dissolved.
Hikari remained impassive, as if their conversation moments ago had been insignificant. Without a word, she disappeared into the air, heading for the Gedo Statue's location.
Watching her go, Tamako frowned slightly and pouted.
"Two more layers of complexity to deal with, and here I thought Hikari was supposed to be easy to get along with. But no matter how I look at her, she's far too fixated on revenge."
Reflecting on her past interactions with Hikari, Tamako recalled moments when Hikari seemed like a naive girl, especially when she spoke of her ideal world. Her eyes would gleam with an almost innocent light.
But the moment revenge was mentioned, her gaze turned cold and sharp, as if she became an entirely different person.
"Well, I'm just a two-year-old 'baby.' How could I understand what's going on in her head? Nagato can deal with the rest. It's not my problem."
Tamako shrugged and vanished.
The next instant, she reappeared atop the Gedo Statue beneath the Virtual Divine Tree.
As Tamako and Hikari arrived, Nagato, already waiting, nodded at them. "Let's begin."
A device resembling an electronic keyboard materialized before Tamako. Her fingers flew across it as she worked, quickly completing her setup. She nodded at Nagato. "Adjustments are complete. The connection between the Virtual Divine Tree and the illusionary space remains stable. Chakra collection can proceed."
Nagato turned his gaze toward Hikari.
Her eyes flickered briefly as she looked at his Rinnegan. Without a word, she activated her ocular power coldly.
She had considered leaving immediately, but confronting the leader now would be disastrous. Both Madara and Nagato would suppress her, jeopardizing her revenge plans.
Just wait a little longer. Once the Ten-Tails was revived, tension between Madara and Nagato would inevitably arise, leaving them too preoccupied to interfere with her.
And with the commotion this would cause, the ninja world's strongest would surely come to investigate. When chaos erupted between them and the Akatsuki, she could act. Over time, more and more people would fall under her control.
"Yachihoko!"
As Hikari activated her technique, a surge of oppressive chakra filled the air.
Across the ninja world, chakra began pouring uncontrollably from every shinobi, rising into the sky. From Konoha, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and beyond, no village was spared as their ninjas' chakra was forcibly drawn.
"What's happening? My chakra…"
Uchiha Fugaku, patrolling Konoha to investigate the recent disturbances, froze in shock as he felt his chakra being drained. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop it.
A golden mark on the back of his left hand flashed repeatedly.
"Could the changes in the moon involve more than one Mangekyō Sharingan technique?"
Fugaku's face darkened as he used a sealing technique to block the chakra flow from his left hand. He began inspecting the strange mark.
From his observations, several others in the village were still conscious, most of whom had previously used virtual devices to avoid the genjutsu.
The majority, however, had been pulled into the Tsukuyomi space. Only a few with strong resistance to genjutsu remained unaffected.
This also confirmed his suspicions about the devices—something was wrong with them. He had already dispatched people to investigate, but now, only minutes later, this new crisis had arisen.
"Good thing I stayed in the village. If I'd gone to the front lines, Konoha might have been paralyzed by now."
Fugaku examined the mark further but found no immediate way to remove it. Turning his attention inward, he thought grimly.
At that moment, most of Konoha's higher-ups were unconscious. Only a few thousand ninjas could still move. Without leadership, the Fire Country's most critical military base was effectively crippled.
"Lord Fugaku, something terrible has happened! Some of those who woke up from the genjutsu have lost their sanity and are attacking indiscriminately!"
As Fugaku was silently reflecting, a ninja appeared at his side, reporting the grim news.
"What?!"
Fugaku's eyes narrowed as he instinctively glanced at the mark on his left hand.
This ocular technique didn't just control chakra—it also seemed to manipulate minds.
Similar scenes unfolded in other nations.
Those pulled into the illusionary space were split between Obito's control and Hikari's virtual battlefield. The latter targeted powerful jonin, using their deaths in the illusionary space to weaken their minds. For every shinobi that fell, Hikari gained another pawn in reality.
What was once a conflict between nations became a chaotic free-for-all, with no clear allies or enemies.
…
"This technique… it's far too overbearing."
On the battlefield, Shisui and Yakumaru were visibly shaken by the sudden developments.
They gathered with other ninjas, attempting to resist the chakra-draining force, but their efforts were futile.
In the end, they had no choice but to resort to sealing techniques.
Around them, ninjas already under Hikari's control ignored the chakra extraction entirely, continuing to fight viciously.
…
The ninja world's chakra surged like a flood breaking through a dam, converging into a massive torrent that flowed toward a single point.
This included the chakra of the jinchūriki.
At the Virtual Divine Tree, a brilliant blue chakra stream swirled from all directions, forming dragon-like tendrils in the air. The chakra poured into the Virtual Divine Tree, which channeled it into the Gedo Statue.
One by one, the Gedo Statue's closed eyes began to open.
Its massive pupils gleamed with an eerie light. Its gaping mouth opened as if to roar silently, the torrent of chakra flooding into its body.
Every thread of chakra carried immense power, revitalizing the Gedo Statue's shell as it slowly stirred to life.
This was the power of Yachihoko.
Watching the spectacle, Nagato's gaze lingered on Hikari, a hint of awe in his expression.
"What an incredible ocular technique."
(Chapter ends.)