"Six Paths: Ten-Tails Coffin Seal!"
As this technique—imbued with supreme sealing power—was activated, it was as if a gateway to another realm had been flung open.
The Ten-Tails, a colossal beast towering dozens of meters high and radiating an aura of destruction, saw its mountain-like body suddenly lose its physical form, transforming into a surging torrent of raw energy.
With unstoppable momentum, this torrent poured furiously into Takuno's body!
In the blink of an eye, the Ten-Tails—a creature that had once caused the very heavens and earth to tremble—vanished without a trace; its immense power had been completely absorbed into Takuno's physique.
Where he had once stood, Takuno was gone; in his place stood a strange, massive egg, roughly the height of several men.
The shell was no ordinary object; its surface was patterned with mysterious, deep interweavings of dark gold and ink-green, pulsing slowly as if alive.
It radiated a staggering life force that made the heart race, along with an indescribable pressure, suggesting that something transcending the mortal realm was gestating within.
At the core of this egg-shaped seal, Takuno clearly sensed the earth-shattering transformation his body was undergoing.
Every inch of bone and sinew, every shred of flesh, and even the most infinitesimal cells were evolving under the onslaught of the Divine Tree's boundless energy.
This power was violently turbulent—enough to instantly shatter any ordinary will.
Yet, Takuno's eyes held no trace of pain or struggle; instead, they gleamed with keen, intrigued interest.
Becoming the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki was a forbidden step toward the realm of gods—a harrowing ordeal where the odds of survival were slim.
In the past, even Obito had teetered on the brink of collapse while enduring this power, struggling desperately between life and death.
Only through an iron will—holding fast to one's self amidst inhuman torment—could one ultimately master this world-destroying energy and complete the metamorphosis.
Yet, that was a path meant for "mortals."
For a pinnacle being like Madara, the process was effortless. At this moment, however, Takuno felt a sense of detachment and ease.
The violent energy surging from the Divine Tree was indeed rampaging within him; the terrifying impact—powerful enough to nearly shatter Obito's will—crashed against him like waves upon a massive boulder.
Yet, this so-called "ordeal" was, to Takuno,
nothing more than a gentle breeze brushing against his face.
With a mere thought, he could easily shatter the "eggshell" of evolution enveloping him and instantly ascend to that supreme realm, becoming the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki.
But Takuno chose not to do so.
On the contrary, rather than accelerating the fusion, he actively channeled his own power to slow down the evolutionary process!
Why?
Simply for the sake of the "experience."
He wanted to clearly imprint every subtle moment of this leap in his life's essence onto his consciousness.
This was not merely the perfect evolution of a mortal body into a "transcendent" state; it was the ultimate metamorphosis of the very source of his power and his fundamental form of existence.
He sought to dissect every nuance of the energy flow and every structural reconfiguration, savoring the profound mysteries of his life essence ascending to a higher plane.
To his delight, the ripples of this evolution extended beyond his physical body.
He could sense that his supreme ocular power—already manifested as the "Three-tomoe Rinnegan"—was undergoing a deeper level of enhancement and transformation, nourished by the primordial energy of the Divine Tree.
It was as if the latent potential of the Rinnegan was being further unlocked by this kindred energy.
Most incredible of all,
the Tenseigan—a supreme ocular power that seemingly bore no relation to the Divine Tree—resonated powerfully under the baptism of this vast energy, radiating an even more brilliant luster.
Two supreme ocular powers, which ought to have remained distinct and separate, were now evolving simultaneously toward even deeper realms within Takuno's body, amidst the torrent of his transformation into the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki.
Takuno's journey of evolution finally reached its culmination. As the surging evolutionary energy—born of his transformation into the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki—was completely exhausted, a trace of disappointment flickered across his face.
He could clearly sense that the energy driving this metamorphosis had subsided.
Immediately afterward, the massive shell that had tightly encased him like a "cocoon of life" shattered.
The fragments did not simply crash to the ground; instead, they transformed into countless light, white feathers that drifted slowly down onto the desolate, silent lunar landscape.
Upon emerging from the cocoon, Takuno's form had undergone a radical transformation.
His skin took on the distinctive texture characteristic of a Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, and his thick black hair had turned a pure, snowy white.
Even more striking was the pair of uniquely shaped, curved horns that had sprouted from his forehead.
He was clad in a strange, unprecedented outfit that clung to his body; at the hem of his robe, nine sharp, forked tails were clearly visible, while ten slender ribbons hung naturally behind him, swaying gently in the faint lunar breeze as if imbued with a life of their own.
The sight was reminiscent of the Ten-Tails Divine Tree's signature ten massive tails swaying behind him.
Hovering silently behind his back were nine pitch-black, spherical Truth-Seeking Orbs, radiating a profound and formidable aura.
Clutched in his hand was a uniquely shaped Six Paths Shakujo (staff).
Its design was a perfect fusion of the staves wielded by Obito and Madara: one end featured a ring symbolizing Yang Release, while the other bore a crescent-shaped blade representing Yin Release.
This was no mere coincidence or haphazard assembly; it was the physical manifestation of Takuno's supreme mastery over Yin-Yang Release—the theoretically perfect form of the Six Paths Shakujo.
Takuno surveyed his new form, feeling little surprise. His final appearance bore a striking resemblance to Obito when the latter became the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki—fitting, given that the "mini Ten-Tails" he had fused with possessed only about forty percent of the full Ten-Tails' power.
However, the quality and quantity of the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails chakra he had absorbed far surpassed what Obito had obtained in the original story.
It was precisely this massive surplus of Tailed Beast power that compensated for the shortcomings of the "mini Ten-Tails," narrowing the gap between his form and that of a perfect Jinchūriki to a negligible margin.
As for the near-perfect Six Paths Staff in his hand, its creation stemmed from his own mastery of Yin-Yang Release, which had already reached the pinnacle of perfection.
Having grasped the principles behind the staff's composition, he was certain that even if he were to relinquish the power of the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki right now, his own command over Yin-Yang Release would be sufficient to forge this divine artifact independently.
He was reasonably satisfied with this outcome.
To expect to reach the same heights as a full Ten-Tails Jinchūriki using only an incomplete "mini Ten-Tails" would have been nothing more than a pipe dream.
He was not a man driven by insatiable greed.
The only lingering regret in his mind concerned his three-tomoe Rinnegan.
Although his ocular power had been significantly enhanced and refined during the baptism of this evolution, he had ultimately failed to break through the barrier; the number of tomoe remained fixed at three.
Takuno sensed clearly that had a complete Ten-Tails served as his source of power that day, the resulting torrent of energy would undoubtedly have propelled his Rinnegan to evolve into the Six-Tomoe form.
Yet, reality allows for no "what-ifs."
That particular ambition would have to wait for the future to be realized.
While the Rinnegan failed to deliver a surprise, the Tenseigan—unexpectedly—offered him a substantial one.
Previously, he had rationally predicted that the power of the Ten-Tails would likely yield little significant benefit to the Tenseigan.
After all, the Tenseigan is fundamentally a dōjutsu derived from the unique bloodline of the Ōtsutsuki clan; unlike certain other ocular powers, it does not rely on a fusion with the Ten-Tails for its ultimate manifestation. Fundamentally, while both the Tenseigan and the power of the Ten-Tails originate from the Ōtsutsuki lineage, the connection between them is subtle—far from the relationship of mutual symbiosis and shared prosperity.
Moreover, the evolutionary path from the Byakugan to the Tenseigan differs fundamentally from the transformation of the Sharingan into the Rinnegan.
The latter typically requires the immense energy of the God Tree's fruit—energy capable of altering the very essence of life—to act as a catalyst.
Consequently, given this understanding, he had not expected the Tenseigan to derive any substantial benefit from this leap in his level of existence, which was driven primarily by the power of the Ten-Tails.
Yet, reality delivered a resounding answer.
True evolution lies at its core in the complete transformation and sublimation of one's life essence.
The Tenseigan had long since been deeply integrated into his biological structure, becoming an inseparable part of his very being.
When his body, his chakra, and his entire life form underwent a qualitative leap catalyzed by the power of the Ten-Tails, how could such a seismic shift possibly bypass the Tenseigan—an integral component of that same life?
To do so would violate the fundamental laws of biological evolution!
A sudden realization dawned on Takuno.
It was a simple truth: even if two identical seeds were planted—one in barren soil and the other in fertile earth—the height they attained and the fruit they bore would differ vastly.
The profound evolutionary leap he was experiencing with his entire being was akin to transplanting a "seed" into soil of unprecedented richness.
Thus, the Tenseigan also shared in the bounty of this evolutionary feast; its power was tangibly nourished and enhanced.
This outcome prompted Takuno to consider the future: even if his Rinnegan were to successfully evolve from the three-tomoe form to the more powerful Six-Tomoe form...
...the ultimate strength of its ocular power might well struggle to decisively suppress the Tenseigan as he had originally anticipated.
Yet, this "unexpected turn" caused him no distress; instead, it stirred a sense of delight within him.
For regardless of how the balance of power between the Tenseigan and the Rinnegan might shift, ultimately, both belonged to him—Takuno. At this moment, Takuno focused his senses on the surging power within his body; the nine pitch-black Truth-Seeking Orbs hovering behind him silently dissipated, as if they had never existed.
He was fundamentally different from Madara, Obito, or even Naruto.
For them, Truth-Seeking Orbs were finite treasures—once one was used, it was gone forever.
Takuno, however, had long since fathomed the mystery of their origin and mastered the core method of their creation.
Now, having successfully merged with the Ten-Tails and ascended to the status of its Jinchūriki, his ability to create them had reached a level where he could do so at will; a mere thought was enough to instantly manifest new orbs.
The Six Paths Staff he held was itself formed from the transformation of pure Truth-Seeking Orb material.
This weapon, a symbol of the pinnacle of Yin-Yang Release, embodied the supreme power to manipulate all things.
One end could effortlessly unleash world-shattering energy capable of sweeping away armies and obliterating vast swathes of land.
The other end could transform into an indestructible shield, negating all manner of ninjutsu attacks and rendering them harmless—truly the ultimate creation, combining both offense and defense.
Yet, to Takuno, this divine artifact—coveted by the rest of the world—held little real value.
As the perfect Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, he possessed absolute immunity to all conventional ninjutsu; only Senjutsu (Sage Art) infused with natural energy could breach his body's defenses.
In his hands, the staff's only real utility lay in channeling Senjutsu chakra to help him withstand the Senjutsu attacks of others.
Moreover, Takuno had already mastered the fundamental method of wielding the power over all things; he did not need the staff as a medium to unleash destructive attacks of the same magnitude at will.
Consequently, this staff—forged from Yin-Yang Release—seemed somewhat superfluous to him, failing to warrant any significant regard. His thoughts turned to the ancient artifacts wielded by the Sage of Six Paths and his younger brother, Ōtsutsuki Hamura; these were not mere energy constructs manifested through Yin-Yang Release, but tangible, physical weapons.
Only such divine artifacts could potentially resonate with his own Yin-Yang Release power and provide a genuine boost to his strength.
Alas, the Sage of Six Paths was hardly going to hand over his staff.
Furthermore, Ōtsutsuki Hamura had long since passed away, and the Six Paths staff representing Yin Release had been lost—or perhaps retrieved by the Sage of Six Paths himself from the afterlife...
Takuno slowly stretched his body.
Having become the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, he could clearly sense that the surging power within him had indeed increased significantly.
Yet, while this boost was substantial, it fell far short of a qualitative transformation.
Fundamentally, this was due to his own exceptionally solid foundation.
Even before fusing with this juvenile Ten-Tails, his strength already stood at the "Six Paths" level—a realm far beyond the reach of ordinary people.
The energy contained in this "mini" Ten-Tails—which was only about forty percent the size of a "perfect form" Ten-Tails—was ultimately a mere drop in the bucket for a being of his stature; it was hardly enough to trigger a qualitative leap in power.
However, Takuno accepted this with equanimity.
He was satisfied with the tangible increase in power he had gained.
For him, becoming the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki was more about the mechanism than the raw power itself.
With a mere thought, the symbolic Six Paths cloak covering his body silently receded.
At the same time, the long white hair—a result of the Ten-Tails' power—rapidly shortened and darkened, reverting to his original short black hair, while his posture and aura returned to their natural state.
In fact, that Six Paths cloak form was essentially a Ten-Tails Jinchūriki mode that could be maintained at will.
Maintaining this form required negligible energy expenditure on his part.
Yet, Takuno felt no compulsion to constantly display this extraordinary appearance. The pair of slightly incongruous horns atop his head was enough to make him feel ill at ease—even a bit odd.
Consequently, unless absolutely necessary, he preferred to present himself in this ordinary guise.