But at that moment, a sudden upheaval occurred!
Just as the cannonball-like Tailed Beast Bomb was about to strike the Five Elders, a mocking smile appeared on their faces. The bald, sword-wielding Elder said coldly, "Young one, don't be so naive as to oppose powers you don't understand. You're far too immature!"
As his words fell, the Five Elders simultaneously raised their arms and clapped their palms together. At the same time, a soul-shaking wave of immense power erupted from them like a tsunami!
Kaguya's pupils shrank sharply, her face showing rare disbelief!
This familiar energy—could it be—
BOOM—!
A deafening explosion echoed to the heavens. A mushroom cloud slowly rose as the sky turned chaotic, the earth trembled violently, sand and stones flying. A scorching shockwave howled outward like a tidal wave, flattening everything in sight!
Darkness swallowed the skies—sun and moon lost their light!
Reiju, Pudding, and Shirahoshi climbed out of the sand, covered in dust. But as they looked ahead, their eyes widened, mouths agape, disbelief written all over their faces.
Such overwhelming power!
It was several times stronger than what they had just witnessed. Everything visible had turned into scorched earth, smoke still rising. The sand had melted and crystallized under the heat, glowing red like molten lava.
Was this even within the realm of human capability?
"Th-Thank you..."
Lying on the ground, Smoothie's pale face looked weak as she spoke.
If Pudding hadn't reached out and dragged her behind the sand dune at the last second, shielding her from the searing blast, she would likely have been roasted alive.
Pudding snorted coldly and turned away, showing no appreciation.
As the smoke and dust began to settle, Reiju's amber eyes widened in astonishment.
From the dissipating haze emerged a towering, sky-piercing tree, its lush branches reaching into the clouds. The massive canopy spread like a dome, casting a green shadow over the entire desert!
Kaguya stared into the distance, her eyes narrowing. Her icy-cold expression turned grave.
That overwhelming sense of familiarity—if not for its vastly different appearance, she would have already assumed it was that thing. But even so, the immense energy radiating from it… what was going on?
Suddenly, the sky-piercing tree began to move. Its branches writhed like vines. Countless colorful flower buds sprouted along its trunk and bloomed in the blink of an eye, transforming the landscape into a stunning sea of blossoms.
"So beautiful..."
Shirahoshi stared at the distant floral spectacle, her bright eyes wide like stars.
Atop the tree's crown, a single enormous flower bud emerged—blood-red and exuding an eerie aura. An invisible force pulsed outward in rippling waves.
But Kaguya smelled killing intent beneath all that beauty.
"Something's wrong!"
Sensing danger, Kaguya stomped her foot and shot into the sky like an arrow, streaking toward the giant tree at lightning speed!
Before she could reach it, five ghostly figures suddenly sprang from all directions and attacked her like bolts of lightning!
Kaguya, burning with urgency, shouted angrily, "Out of my way!" She raised her hand and unleashed an invisible burst of power!
"Shinra Tensei!"
BOOM—!
A thunderous explosion erupted as Kaguya's palm clashed violently with the Five Elders. The resulting shockwave roared outward like a tsunami!
But unexpectedly, it wasn't the Five Elders who were sent flying—
It was Kaguya!
Kaguya was sent flying. In midair, she barely managed to twist her body, flipping gracefully before landing on her feet. She stumbled back several steps before finally coming to a stop, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.
This power…
Kaguya's eyes narrowed. Since the appearance of the tree, the Five Elders' strength had suddenly surged—several times more powerful than before. It was a completely different league!
"We had originally intended to keep this secret," said the long-haired white-haired Elder as he stepped forward slowly…
The bald Elder placed a hand on the hilt of his sword and looked coldly toward Kaguya in the distance. "So what if you've discovered it? As long as you're dead, the secret stays buried."
"What's the point of talking?" snarled the birthmarked Elder. "Let's just kill her and be done with it."
"A pity," said the flat-hatted Elder with slight regret. "We had hoped you'd become an asset. If you hadn't been foolish enough to challenge us, perhaps we would've spared your life. But now, to preserve this secret, we have no choice but to kill you."
With that, the Five Elders advanced toward Kaguya. With every step, their aura grew heavier. By the time they reached her, the pressure was so intense it felt tangible—suffocating.
"Wait!"
Kaguya suddenly raised her hand. "I have something to say."
"Something to say?" The blond Elder paused. "If you're going to beg for mercy, save it. You'd be better off leaving some last words."
"No," Kaguya shook her head. "I want to ask—what exactly is that tree?"
The birthmarked Elder stepped forward with a sneer. "Why should a dying woman know?"
"Precisely because I'm dying," Kaguya replied. "I want to know what it is so I can die without regrets. Surely the mighty Five Elders aren't afraid of answering that?"
The long-haired Elder slowly approached. "Give it up. Taunt us all you want—we're not telling you. If that's your last request, then go ahead and die. Don't worry, we'll send your friends along with you. You won't be lonely on the road to the underworld."
At that moment, the massive flower atop the sky-piercing tree suddenly bloomed. Its petals unfurled, its stamen gently quivered, releasing a sweet, fragrant scent into the air.
But at the same time, a pitch-black sphere began forming above the flower. It rapidly expanded, ballooning into a glowing orb hundreds of meters in diameter within seconds!
"That's—a Tailed Beast Bomb?!"
"Tailed Beast Bomb?"
The long white-haired Five Elder stepped forward, eyes narrowing sharply as they glinted with a dangerous light. "How do you know that term?"
The other Five Elders' expressions darkened instantly. They surrounded her in a pincer formation, bodies tense, fists clenched, clearly ready to strike at any moment.
Seeing their reactions, Kaguya wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and smiled faintly. "Looks like I was right after all."
She had felt something familiar about the Five Elders' power all along—clear, refined, continuous. She had a vague suspicion, but the energy's nature differed significantly from chakra, so she hadn't dared confirm it.
Yet the sudden appearance of the towering tree now validated her hunch.
If she was not mistaken, this enormous tree before her was the legendary God Tree!
The same kind of tree she had once fused with!
In the world of Naruto, the God Tree was not unique. According to Momoshiki, the trees were artificially planted—like crops—for the sole purpose of harvesting their divine fruit.
This tree before her was likely one of them. But for some reason, its fruit had not been harvested by the Ōtsutsuki clan. Once ripened, the fruit likely fell on its own. That could very well be the origin of the Devil Fruits.
It was because of the God Tree's power that Devil Fruits possessed such strength.
Of course, this was merely Kaguya's personal speculation. The truth required deeper investigation.
However, this God Tree seemed somewhat different. Normally, a God Tree only bore one fruit, and the immense power it contained was far beyond anything a Devil Fruit could compare to.
Could something have gone wrong here?
The white-haired Elder snorted coldly and said, "I don't know what nonsense you're spouting. If you're trying to stall for time, you're making a big mistake. Go die!"
The moment he spoke, the Tailed Beast Bomb atop the tree suddenly shot out like a cannonball, transforming into a black beam of light that hurtled toward Kaguya at lightning speed!
Kaguya's eyes narrowed. She raised her palm, and a Tailed Beast Bomb formed in her hand as well, expanding into a massive sphere in the blink of an eye!
But just then, five figures dashed forward like bolts of lightning, encircling Kaguya and launching a surprise attack from all sides. She was suddenly trapped in a pincer assault!
BOOM—!
A deafening explosion tore through the air. Kaguya's location erupted in chaos as destructive energy surged like serpents, scorching flames soared skyward, and the ground shook violently. Sand and stones blasted outward, creating a storm of dust. In mere moments, the entire area was consumed in annihilating force!
Bang—!
Bang—!
Bang—!
With a series of muffled crashes, five figures were flung and slammed into the ground with a heavy thuds, blood spraying from their mouths!
They struggled to rise, staring wide-eyed at the slender figure walking through the billowing sand, speechless with shock. "Th-this—how is this possible?!"
In just a split second, that silver-haired girl had not only shattered the incoming Tailed Beast Bomb effortlessly, but had also turned around and struck all five of them with lightning speed.
It was almost inconceivable!
Completely different from how she had been moments ago!
Kaguya walked forward slowly, the corners of her mouth curling into a mocking smile. "What? Surprised, are you?"
There was no trace of injury on her now!
The Five Elders' faces turned ashen. Anyone with half a brain could see it—they had been played!
Kaguya walked forward and gently placed her hand on the weathered trunk of the towering tree. "I don't know why this tree ended up here, but—" she turned to face them, her gaze sharp, "—as the tree's rightful owner, don't you think it's a little inappropriate for you to be messing with my tree?"
The Five Elders were stunned, their eyes widening in shock.
Her tree?
What kind of joke was that?!
And yet, after touching the tree—she was completely unharmed!
Even with their own immense strength and ability to wield some of the God Tree's power, they had never dared touch it directly. Anyone who did would have their energy instantly drained and be reduced to a husk. Countless had died this way.
If they hadn't discovered a method to harness its power by chance, they wouldn't have the strength they now possessed.
But this silver-haired girl was touching it as if it were nothing!
The Five Elders exchanged bewildered looks.
Could it be… that what she said was true? That the tree really belonged to her?
As unbelievable as it sounded, it was the only explanation that made sense.
When they looked back at Kaguya, her presence now felt even more unfathomable.
Of course, the truth was far less mystical. This wasn't really her tree. Kaguya, who could barely keep a cactus alive, could hardly cultivate something like this. But as a member of the Ōtsutsuki clan, she followed the simple philosophy of: what's yours is mine, and what's mine is still mine. Claiming the God Tree as her own felt entirely natural.
Besides, she was a princess of the Ōtsutsuki clan. Surely eating two fruits as a royal wouldn't be a crime, right?
The Five Elders, still pale, struggled to stand. They had never been in such a humiliating position.
"Since you don't know what's good for you, don't blame us for being rude," the flat-hatted Elder said coldly, a glint of killing intent in his eyes.
Kaguya stood tall and looked down at them from above, her voice laced with disdain. "Rude? Are you seriously saying that to me? Careful you don't bite your tongue with all that bluster."
The bald Elder's forehead bulged with veins. He growled, "You'll pay for your arrogance—with your life!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the Five Elders sprang forward like arrows loosed from a bow, racing toward the God Tree. Raising their arms, they struck at the tree with all their might!
BOOM—!
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