Chapter 112: Pros and Cons
"To think you could master it to this extent just after obtaining my chakra?"
Watching the changes taking place on Kei's body, the Nine Tails' pupils narrowed, and a trace of astonishment rose in his heart.
Kei before him was just like the Kinkaku Brothers of the past. He had likewise obtained the power of the Nine Tails' chakra through flesh and blood.
But even after gaining the Nine Tails' chakra, how far one could wield it was never guaranteed.
Compared to the way the Kinkaku Brothers had used it, Kei's current method was clearly far more advanced.
That immense chakra surged endlessly from his body, yet it was incomparably pure. There was not a trace of the violent nature usually carried by the Nine Tails' chakra. Instead, it felt as warm and gentle as sunlight.
That alone was enough to prove that Kei had already mastered the Nine Tails' chakra to a certain degree, to the point that even its original characteristics had been worn away, leaving behind only pure chakra power.
"But if this is all you've got, you're still no match for me."
With a thought, the Nine Tails rose at once and swiped forward with a massive claw.
The force behind that attack was terrifying. Even with Kei's current strength, he could not have blocked it head on under normal circumstances.
Ordinarily, his only option would have been to dodge.
But things were different now.
The instant the Nine Tails' strike came down, a terrifying burst of chakra erupted from Kei's body.
In an instant, the Tailed Beast cloak covering him expanded, transforming into the shape of a giant demon fox.
The demon fox roared toward the sky, its golden Tailed Beast cloak blazing brilliantly. It raised one hand and forcibly blocked the Nine Tails' strike.
The Nine Tails' pupils immediately narrowed.
"To think you could actually stop one of my attacks."
"But what about this?"
He opened his mouth, and an enormous mass of chakra condensed inside it, forming a gigantic sphere.
This was the Tailed Beast Ball, the strongest technique a Tailed Beast could unleash.
Under normal circumstances, the power of a Tailed Beast Ball was immense. On a battlefield, it was practically unstoppable.
To some extent, this was one of the reasons the hidden villages were so determined to control the Tailed Beasts.
Perhaps its value was not as obvious in an ordinary one on one battle, but on the battlefield, it was a true strategic deterrent.
And now, the Nine Tails had unleashed that technique.
He watched with anticipation, wanting to see how Kei would respond.
Would he use the Flying Thunder God to dodge, or...
But in the end, Kei's actions still exceeded his expectations.
Before him, the giant demon fox formed from Tailed Beast chakra slowly lowered itself.
Within its mouth, an equally massive amount of chakra began to gather.
"Could it be..."
Watching that scene, the Nine Tails was stunned, countless thoughts flashing through his mind.
And in the next moment, his premonition became reality.
Another Tailed Beast Ball condensed in front of Kei, then blasted forward.
Boom!
The two Tailed Beast Balls collided, producing a deafening explosion.
The terrifying force pulverized the land before them into dust, and the resulting scene was horrifying.
"You've even mastered the Tailed Beast Ball?"
The Nine Tails felt his scalp go numb.
He could guarantee that this was Kei's first time using Tailed Beast chakra.
Yet judging from how naturally and skillfully he handled it, it was as though he had practiced it thousands upon thousands of times. There was no difficulty at all.
"Actually, it isn't that hard."
Kei's voice sounded from the side.
"The essence of this technique isn't much different from the Rasengan. It's just the condensation and release of chakra."
"It's only because Tailed Beast chakra enhances it that the power becomes so much greater."
Standing where he was, he looked at the devastation in front of him and spoke calmly.
As he spoke, the Tailed Beast cloak around his body disappeared, and he directly exited Nine Tails Chakra Mode.
"Can't keep it up anymore?"
The Nine Tails wore a mocking expression.
"This body of mine still has plenty of strength left."
"I still have some strength left too, but I can't compare with you."
Kei replied, "After all, you're a Tailed Beast, while I'm still a living human."
"In terms of chakra reserves, a living human can never compare to a Tailed Beast."
"Even if you're only a flesh and blood clone and haven't grown for long, the result is still the same."
Unlike a normal jinchuriki, the Tailed Beast chakra Kei was using now was closer to being his own power.
That was because he had not sealed a Tailed Beast inside his body. Instead, he had used the Chimera Technique to forcibly devour the Nine Tails' flesh, granting himself the ability to produce Nine Tails chakra.
Although his chakra reserves had increased dramatically thanks to the Nine Tails' flesh, they still could not compare with a true Tailed Beast.
He simply did not have the ability to outlast the Nine Tails in a contest of attrition.
"Actually, when you think about it, there was no need to go through all this trouble."
The Nine Tails' voice sounded slowly.
"You're already a partner I've acknowledged. If you were willing, once Uzumaki Mito dies, I could stay inside your body for a while."
"With my power helping you, why take such a risk?"
He truly could not understand Kei's choice.
To Kei, the ready made Tailed Beast was right in front of him. There had been no need to take such a roundabout path.
If he had simply sealed the Nine Tails into his own body and become a true jinchuriki, the Nine Tails could have provided chakra to him directly. That would have been far more convenient than going through the painstaking and dangerous process of devouring flesh and risking death from backlash just to gain Nine Tails chakra.
To put it bluntly, it was an unnecessary detour.
"It's still different."
Kei shook his head.
"Compared to imprisoning someone else inside my body, I'd rather trust myself."
To him, sealing the Nine Tails into himself and becoming a true Nine Tails jinchuriki was indeed a simple option, but it was not the right one for him.
Yes, if he truly wanted it, Mito would likely have had no objection and might even have handed the Nine Tails over to him directly.
After all, to Mito, that thing itself held no personal value.
The only reason she had become the Nine Tails jinchuriki in the first place was for Konoha's sake.
But while becoming the Nine Tails jinchuriki would certainly have been convenient, that was not something he could necessarily bring back with him to his original body.
Judging from Kei's previous experiences, only the things he had truly made his own during reincarnation could be exchanged and brought back by spending points.
But if he merely sealed the Nine Tails inside himself, would the Nine Tails really count as something that belonged to him?
That was difficult to say.
So to be safe, Kei would rather take the more troublesome route and absorb the Nine Tails' flesh directly, becoming an existence similar to the Kinkaku Brothers. That was much more reliable.
And now, his goal had basically been achieved.
After obtaining the Nine Tails' chakra, the last shortcoming on his body had also been erased.
…..
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