Demonic Statue of the Outer Path

The is the empty vessel of the Ten-Tails. It was sealed within the moon by Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki &mdash; the Sage of the Six Paths &mdash; where it remained until Madara Uchiha awakened the Rinnegan. This allowed him to break the seal and summon the body, where it would be later used by Obito Uchiha and Nagato as the container for the tailed beasts that were captured by the members of Akatsuki.

Background
When the Sage of the Six Paths separated the Ten-Tails' chakra from its body to create the nine tailed beasts, he used Chibaku Tensei to seal the beast's husk within the newly-created moon. Many centuries later, Madara Uchiha awakened the Rinnegan and used it to break the seal and summon the husk, which he christened the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

Madara used the Demonic Statue as a catalyst to cultivate Hashirama Senju's DNA, producing a giant flowering tree containing a non-sentient clone of Hashirama. To extend his lifespan in his old age, Madara was able to cling to life by attaching himself to the Demonic Statue via the tree, which served as a means of life support by constantly supplying him with chakra. Madara believed that the Demonic Statue and Hashirama's DNA produced artificial humans, when in actuality Black Zetsu was removing them from within the Demonic Statue, where they were stored. It was only after convincing Obito Uchiha to carry on his preparations for the Eye of the Moon Plan that Madara disconnected himself from the Demonic Statue and with his dying breath, told the young man that until the time he was revived, he was to act using his name. As Madara explained to Obito, the rebirth of the Ten-Tails by sealing the tailed beasts within the Demonic Statue was vital to the Eye of the Moon Plan.

During the Third Shinobi World War, an enraged and grief-fueled Nagato summoned the Demonic Statue, which pierced his back with a number of chakra receivers and emaciated him, while giving him the power to kill all of Hanzō's men, with only Hanzō himself escaping the altercation alive. As Pain, Nagato would summon the Demonic Statue whenever a jinchūriki or tailed beast was captured by Akatsuki so that the members could extract and seal the beast within it.

Appearance
The Demonic Statue is a giant, earthen-coloured humanoid entity with most of its body looking decayed. It has nine blue eyes, one of which opens each time a tailed beast is sealed within it, although the eyes remain closed when it is summoned into battle. Its back also has a number of spike-like protrusions. The Statue originally wore a blindfold which completely covered its eyes; after it was first summoned by Nagato, holes for each of its eyes are present in subsequent appearances. The Statue's arms are usually bound by shackles and it bites down on a scroll, which is held in place by two ropes extending from beneath its blindfold on either side of its head. It seemingly wears some form of robe, and when seen in the Mountains' Graveyard, its ankles also appeared to be bound in shackles. At times, a black rod extends from it midsection, resembling an umbilical cord. When summoned into battle, the Statue breaks its restraints, causing the scroll in its mouth to hang from the left rope like an earring. During its transformation into the Ten-Tails, the Statue's mouth area changes and the spikes on its body extend and warp in shape.

Abilities
One who possesses the Rinnegan is capable of summoning and controlling the Statue; it cannot be summoned using a fake Rinnegan, although the user's Six Paths of Pain are also able to summon it. Those who possess both Uchiha and Senju DNA are also able to control it. When summoned, the Statue bursts from the ground, emerging either partially or entirely, depending on the situation.

When Nagato first summoned the Statue, the black rods emerging from its stomach pierced his back and the Statue emitted a dragon-like form of energy from its mouth. When this entity came into contact with a person, their soul was ripped from their body, killing them instantly. The members of Akatsuki utilised a sealing technique in which nine of these dragons, formed from absorption chakra within the Statue, would surround a jinchūriki or tailed beast until the tailed beast's chakra was gathered into the Statue's mouth and stored inside for future use. Nagato wanted to use these beasts to create a kinjutsu weapon that could destroy an entire country. Madara and Obito, however, intend to reassemble them into the Ten-Tails. In combination with the chakra chains of the Outer Path, Obito was able to direct the stored tailed beast chakra into reincarnated former jinchūriki, as well as quickly withdraw said chakra into the Statue when he desired. Madara is also able to use the Statue's chakra chains to seal tailed beasts.

As evident from its enormous size, the Statue possesses great strength, enough to clash with the likes of Chōza and Chōji Akimichi in their colossal forms. It was also shown to be durable enough to take one of Chōji's Butterfly Bullet Bombing punches without even being pushed back, and stop Kitsuchi's Earth Release: Sandwich Technique just by outstretching its arms. In the anime, it also displayed a high level of agility despite its massive size, as it could leap tremendous distances. It is also capable of creating shock waves capable of devastating an entire battlefield, and from the protrusions on its back, launching energy blasts.

According to the Yin half of Kurama, the statue emanates a tremendous life force. Obito was able to survive the extraction of all nine tailed beasts due to the Statue's life force, although he was rendered paralysed. Madara was able to use the Statue to cultivate Hashirama Senju's DNA, creating a non-sentient clone. Furthermore, stored within the statue are the original victims of the Infinite Tsukuyomi that could be taken out by Black Zetsu. The elderly Madara was then able to use the Statue as a life-support of sorts by connecting himself to the clone via three, thick, long chords stretching from it and continuously taking in the Statue's chakra. White Zetsu and others of his kind are also able to access the statue's power by connecting themselves to the tree, which one did to augment his strength, enabling him to break a massive boulder.

Kazekage Rescue Arc
Years later, Nagato made it the means behind Akatsuki's tailed beast extraction. When Sasori and Deidara arrive in an Akatsuki hideout with Gaara, Nagato summons it to extract the One-Tailed Shukaku over a period of three days, sealing it into the statue. When the sealing begins, the bit falls from the Statue's mouth and nine dragon-like entities burst forth from the statue's mouth. As the sealing nears completion, one of the eyes corresponding to the beast that is being sealed opens. After the sealing finishes, the statue disappears.

Hidan and Kakuzu Arc
The statue was again summoned to seal two tailed beasts, the Two-Tails and the Three-Tails, during which process Nagato explains Akatsuki's goals. As a result, Yugito Nii dies.

Itachi Pursuit Arc
After Kisame captures Rōshi, the Four-Tails jinchūriki, he and Itachi discuss the sealing of the tailed-beasts. Itachi says that they don't need to rush to capture the Nine-Tails, since that beast is supposed to be the last one sealed, or else the statue would break apart.

Tsuchigumo Kinjutsu Arc
After the Six Paths of Pain capture Utakata, the Six-Tails is extracted and sealed into the statue, resulting in his death.

Invasion of Pain Arc
After Sasuke Uchiha captured "Killer B", the Eight-Tails jinchūriki, Akatsuki tried to seal the beast in the statue, only to see that it's actually a fake.

Five Kage Summit Arc
After Nagato's death, Tobi indicates that Nagato was just a pawn that the Demonic Statue had been synchronised with. He states he would like Sasuke Uchiha to be Nagato's replacement, but decided to wait until Sasuke was easier to manipulate.

Confining the Jinchūriki Arc
After accepting the terms of Kabuto Yakushi's alliance, Tobi reveals the statue located within the depths of his headquarters, seated atop of a giant lotus flower, whose stem harbours a copy of Hashirama Senju. Directing Kabuto's vision downwards to the flower's roots, housed in a deeper underground cave, Tobi presents the army of enhanced White Zetsu that he had released using the chakra of the tailed beasts imprisoned within the statue.

Shinobi World War Arc
During the Fourth Shinobi World War, the statue was summoned to the battlefield in order to assist Tobi in obtaining a substitute for the Nine-Tails' chakra, rampaging amongst the First Division as Chōza and Chōji Akimichi use their Super Multi-Size Technique to fight the statue. However, the statue withstood their combined assault and with the shock-wave following a bellowing roar, sent the two of them reeling. In the wake of its destruction and in retaliation to Kitsuchi's Earth Release: Sandwich Technique, it releases another powerful blast of chakra, devastating the battlefield further. The statue later attempted to crush Darui and Shikamaru Nara underfoot, when they tried to prevent Tobi from taking the Benihisago and Kohaku no Jōhei.

Retreating to a forested area, Tobi stands atop of the statue's palms alongside his Six Paths of Pain, as dawn breaks on the second day. After Son Gokū is freed from Tobi's control during his confrontation with Naruto Uzumaki and Killer B, he immediately summons the statue to his present location, where it proceeds to draw the bound beast into its awaiting maw and reseals the Four-Tails inside itself. As Tobi continues to observe the ensuing battle from atop the statue, he is ultimately forced to reseal the remaining tailed beasts in the same manner as Son, when they too are freed by Naruto. The statue remained on the battlefield aiding Tobi in his fight against Naruto, B, Kakashi and Guy.

Ten-Tails Revival Arc
As a combined assault from Naruto, B, Kakashi and Guy knocks the statue down, goading from Naruto forces Obito to summon the Kohaku no Jōhei and the Benihisago to give the statue Kurama's chakra sealed in the relics. Having sealed the portion of the Eight-Tails they had received during Taka's battle earlier, the Demonic Statue now had all nine tailed beasts' chakra within it and undergoes a painful regeneration to its original form. Refusing to let anyone interfere, Obito protects the statue with the Uchiha Flame Formation long before Madara's arrival. Realising that Gyūki and Kurama have not been sealed into the statue like the other tailed beasts, Madara moves to correct this while there is still time.

As a final attempt to eradicate the statue with one attack, a transformed Naruto Uzumaki and Killer B create a giant Tailed Beast Ball, and fired it at the statue. As the two noted that the statue's chakra had vanished, they began to celebrate before the smoke clears and the resurrected Ten-Tails is revealed.

Infinite Tsukuyomi Arc
After the Allied Shinobi Forces managed to extract the tailed beasts from Obito, the statue remained sealed inside him. Its life force kept Obito alive, despite the severe debilitation caused by the extraction. After regaining one of his original Rinnegan, Madara was able to completely summon the statue out of Obito's body, though Kakashi's quick use of Kamui did sever its right arm. The statue then sucked in all the tailed beasts, with its eyes all gaining pupils.

Influences

 * The decayed appearance of the statue, and its posture when not in use, is similar to a, a practice by Buddhist monks to commit ritualistic suicide by self-mummification.
 * As with the Sage of Six Paths, the statue is influenced by Buddhist terminology., derived from the Sanskrit Tīrthika, refers to any doctrine which "treads the outer path" to enlightenment. This is opposed to the teachings of orthodox Buddhism, the , and is thus considered misguided and heretical, which led to a translation of this statue being the Demonic Statue of Heretical Doctrine.