From the very beginning, Jiang Chen had chosen the second path. But what was the true fate of the Naruto World?
Was it Naruto's journey to growth?
Sasuke's path of vengeance?
The tale of the Six Paths Sage and his bloodline?
No. It was none of these.
To be precise, the true fate of the Naruto World could be summed up in one phrase— the story of planting trees.
In the original timeline, it was Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's mission, a lone cultivator sowing the Divine Tree. With Boruto's era included, it expanded into the Ōtsutsuki clan's grand design— an endless cycle of celestial harvests.
And as long as Jiang Chen completed this cycle, he would, in essence, claim dominion over this world.
As for planting trees…
It wasn't just the Ōtsutsuki clan who were adept at it. The Saiyans were also quite skilled in world cultivation.
"Brother, what should we do next?" Jiang Xi's initial shock faded, replaced by a spark of curiosity as she turned to Jiang Chen.
"First, hold onto him! Seal his energy flow with your Sage Arts and be wary of his Chakra!"
With that, Jiang Chen casually tossed the battered remains of Ōtsutsuki Isshiki to Jiang Xi.
"Alright, alright!"
She quickly caught him, her Sage Aura flaring to life, forming a protective barrier around her.
Her gaze lingered on Jiang Chen with anticipation clear in her eyes.
She was waiting for his next move.
Jiang Chen took a deep breath.
Then—
BOOM!
A vast, domineering force erupted from his body. In an instant, a blinding white energy engulfed him, cascading outward like a celestial tide.
CRACK!
The very ground beneath them caved in with spiderweb-like fissures spreading in every direction. The alternate dimension trembled as if unable to withstand his power.
High above, the darkened sky shuddered— as though something ancient and unseen had been split open.
The Jūbi, which had stood tall and imposing just moments ago, suddenly fell silent.
Its monstrous pupils shrank in fear. A primal terror flickered within its depths, as if it had sensed the presence of a being above its own existence.
Jiang Xi instinctively stepped back.
Her breath hitched.
'So strong!'
'Is this… my brother's true power?'
She whispered to herself, utterly awed.
She had always known Jiang Chen was strong, but this— this was beyond anything she had ever imagined.
A force that could crush entire worlds.
Even though she was no weakling, standing before this overwhelming power, she felt as fragile as a lone ember against a roaring tempest.
This aura…
It might even surpass her master's.
No— there was no might about it.
It was stronger than her Master. Her master had never made her feel such an instinctive sense of insignificance.
A shudder of excitement coursed through her.
Meanwhile, Jiang Chen's power continued to rise, stretching beyond the skies.
Then, with a sharp motion, he raised his right hand— his index and middle fingers pressing against his forehead.
SWOOSH!
A formless wave surged forth.
Illusory waters roared into existence, ancient rivers appearing and vanishing across the expanse of the alternate dimension.
The Dragon Vein had been awakened.
At this moment, Jiang Chen wasn't just summoning his own power. He was drawing upon the boundless force of the Dragon Vein itself. Faint, translucent visions flickered in and out of existence. A thousand realities, a thousand possibilities— appearing, then shattering.
Then—
There was silence as Jiang Chen's eyes snapped open.
His brows furrowed.
"…Nothing?"
He muttered, confused.
Even after channeling his full strength— even with the Dragon Vein's power— he had failed to locate a world akin to the Ninja Realm.
Theoretically… that shouldn't be possible.
The Naruto World had to be vast.
After all, if it was capable of producing a being like the Ōtsutsuki God, then the idea that the so-called "Ninja World" was the only planet in existence didn't make sense.
Otherwise, figures like Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki and Ōtsutsuki Isshiki would be difficult to explain.
Yet, despite this logic, Jiang Chen was struggling.
Perhaps the Ninja World was simply too remote— so distant that even with the Dragon Vein's power fueling his perception, he had scoured half the starry sky and still failed to locate a suitable planet.
"Do I really have no choice but to use the Ninja World?" Jiang Chen frowned.
To be honest, unless it was absolutely necessary, he had no intention of using that world.
It carried too many of his childhood memories. If possible, he wanted to leave that time and space untouched.
Then—
As if struck by sudden inspiration, Jiang Chen's heart stirred.
In the next instant, a deep crimson radiance flared to life around him.
The immense, suffocating pressure that had filled the realm suddenly vanished, replaced by a strange, sacred resonance that rippled outward— an invisible force spreading across the entire world.
"What is that?!"
Jiang Xi's eyes widened in astonishment as she instinctively turned toward Jiang Chen.
"This energy…!"
Her breath hitched as an inexplicable sense of reverence filled her chest.
"That's… that's the power of a god!"
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's battered form trembled. His lone remaining eye flickered with shock and disbelief.
"A god?" Jiang Xi blinked, momentarily confused.
"Yes! This is divine energy!"
"Hahaha! So it truly exists!"
Isshiki's ragged breathing quickened, his expression one of manic exhilaration. Even in his shattered state, he could hardly contain his excitement.
His reaction only deepened Jiang Xi's curiosity.
But Jiang Chen wasn't paying attention to any of this.
A Saiyan God's state was fleeting so he didn't have much time. He needed to locate his target now.
As his divine presence surged outward, his perception expanded with ease.
This time, there was no struggle.
With the combined might of the Dragon Vein and the divine power coursing through his body, Jiang Chen's awareness spread at an unfathomable speed— piercing through the cosmos, sweeping across an immeasurable distance.
And then—
A vast blue planet materialized within his mind's eye.
The instant he perceived it, Jiang Chen's gaze flickered with intrigue.
But after a quick scan, he shook his head.
Not this one.
He pushed his perception further.
More and more planets passed through his awareness.
With the power of a god, Jiang Chen saw numerous life-bearing worlds— many of them teeming with energy, their civilizations thriving.
Several were even on par with the Ninja World itself.
One by one, he observed them.
Until, at last, his focus settled upon a massive planet— one at least ten times the size of the Ninja World.
A slow smirk tugged at Jiang Chen's lips.
"Xiao Xi, come here."
As he spoke, an illusory river of time shimmered into existence around him, flowing like a spectral tide.
"Okay, okay!" Despite her burning curiosity, Jiang Xi didn't hesitate. Without delay, she soared toward Jiang Chen's side.
"Brother!" As she drew closer, her eyes flickered with wonder as she carefully studied Jiang Chen's current state.
But before she could ask any questions, Jiang Chen had already teleported her to the front of the Jūbi (Ten-Tails).
At this moment, the Jūbi (Ten-Tails) had long stopped roaring, its body trembling with fear as it looked at Jiang Chen.
Although Jiang Chen's Aura could no longer be perceived, as a Bijū (Tailed Beast), it could still sense it.
Even when Jiang Chen reached out to touch it, the Jūbi (Ten-Tails) didn't dare to struggle.
"Whoosh!"
In the next moment, Jiang Chen's right hand touched the Jūbi (Ten-Tails). He, the Jūbi (Ten-Tails), Jiang Xi, and the Ōtsutsuki Isshiki she was holding all disappeared from the spot.
Outside the Ninja World (Naruto World).
This place was over hundreds of thousands of light-years away from the Ninja World (Naruto World).
Theoretically, even with space-time Ninjutsu, it would be impossible for the Ninja World (Naruto World) to reach here.
But now, three figures and a Jūbi (Ten-Tails) had crossed such a vast distance and arrived here.
"Such dense natural Chakra?"
The moment they arrived, Jiang Xi couldn't help but widen her eyes, her expression filled with disbelief.
Having mastered the three great Sage Techniques (Senjutsu), she almost instantly sensed the unusual nature of this place.
The Ninja World (Naruto World) was already special, but the amount of natural Chakra there was still not much.
But here, the natural Chakra was almost tangible.
(End of chapter)
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