The fruit was gradually ripening. Its crimson skin slowly faded, replaced by a radiant, immortal golden glow.
From within came waves of sacred chanting, infused with the essence of the White Ape Sage's lifetime of cultivation.
Just by consuming it, one could instantly become as powerful as he was!
Such was the mystery of the Divine Tree.
As the chanting and golden light intensified, the swollen fruit bent the Divine Tree's trunk under its weight and finally dropped beside Uchiha Kirin.
The fruit had ripened—this was the moment.
Kirin reached out his hand and activated the Breathing Art of the Sage Path, drawing the boundless natural energy from the Dragon Vein and channeling it all into the fruit.
In an instant, the natural energy density across all of Mount Myōboku dropped a full tier.
At the same time, the fruit swelled to its limit. A radiant halo burst from it like the sun at high noon.
Then, it abruptly shrank, compressing down to the size of a walnut.
Now, the Divine Tree Fruit was truly mature!
The Divine Tree withered and collapsed, and the White Ape Sage's body and soul alike disintegrated into dust…
Uchiha Kirin reached out to catch the falling fruit.
"Stop!"
Suddenly, a vast, thunderous voice echoed from the heavens. In the next moment, a powerful suction force erupted, trying to pull the fruit away.
Kirin didn't even bother looking up. From his palm, he released a suction force of his own, trying to pull the fruit back into his grasp.
As the fruit slowly began to drift back toward him, the Sage of Six Paths, seated atop the sky, could no longer remain still.
He opened the Gate of the Pure Land and thrust out a black double-helix spear—
Kirin smiled faintly and stepped forward. Without a word, he activated all ten layers of the Battle Saint Scripture, then used the Breathing Art of the Sage Path to perfectly control this immense power, sealing it completely within his body without a single leak.
He lightly placed his hand on the Demon-Suppressing Vajra.
With a gentle shake—
The supposedly indestructible prototype Divine Tool shattered into fragments.
After pocketing the fruit,
Kirin stood with calm confidence and shouted:
"No need to hide in the shadows. Since you've come all this way, why not show yourselves?"
His voice echoed across the entire sacred land.
In response, the hidden sages began to reveal themselves.
Some took on human form, others retained their beastly appearances. Some stood, some reclined—each with a distinct aura.
These so-called sages were mostly clan leaders from the various summoning beast tribes. They had extended their lifespans through the cultivation of natural energy, but their true strength… was questionable at best.
Only a few major clans had sages who were worthy of the title.
Among them, the four leading sages stood at the forefront. The rest remained silent, trembling in fear. Even the White Snake Sage lowered her head and avoided Kirin's gaze.
The Toad Sage, seeing that backup had arrived, grew even more terrified. He abandoned the rest of the Mount Myōboku toads and hid behind the Slug Sage, whose size rivaled a divine mountain.
This scene was well within Kirin's expectations.
In fact, the very reason he had acted so brazenly was to make a statement—to all the hidden powers in the shinobi world's dark corners.
To show them his blade and establish his dominance.
Truthfully, in the current situation, there were only two who could speak to Kirin as equals:
The Sage of Six Paths and the Slug Sage.
"I believe there's been a misunderstanding between us…"
The Sage of Six Paths wore the kindly expression of someone trying to fool a child. He smiled warmly, completely ignoring his earlier attempt to snatch the Divine Tree Fruit. Brazenly, he tried to talk Kirin into handing it over.
"Today, the death of the White Ape Sage requires an explanation!"
The Slug Sage's voice rang out. She had once placed high hopes on the White Ape Sage, even naming him as a potential founder of a fourth sacred land.
But now he was utterly destroyed—body and soul. She needed a proper answer from Kirin.
"He tried to kill my friend. I killed him. Simple as that."
As he spoke, Kirin formed a hand seal and used a summoning jutsu to bring forth Boss Black Cat.
He gently stroked the tiny, trembling black cat who now found itself the center of every sage's attention.
"For this? You killed a potential future sage over this?"
"Yes. For this."
To slay a sage with the potential to found a sacred land... all to save a random cat from some fringe clan—this was utterly absurd to the assembled sages.
And yet, not a single one dared move against him.
"Do you have any proof?"
Ignored, the Sage of Six Paths dropped his kindly façade and spoke sternly.
"Dead men don't testify."
"Then hand over the fruit and come to the Pure Land with me to atone!"
Kirin chuckled.
"Such arrogance from an old man!" As he spoke, he stepped atop the Dragon Vein, raising his leg as though ready to kick with full force.
If that kick landed, the entire shinobi world would collapse. Nothing could withstand it.
"Impudent!"
"Wait!"
Before the Sage of Six Paths could explode in anger, the Slug Sage quickly interjected with a concession.
"In that case, how about you take the White Ape Sage's place and guard it instead?"
"That's exactly what I had in mind. Once I consume the Divine Tree Fruit, I should inherit everything that belonged to the White Ape Sage..."
It had been many years since someone had successfully cultivated a Divine Tree and grown its fruit. To fail at the final step left the Sage of Six Paths seething.
But for the Slug Sage, this was already a satisfactory outcome.
What she truly cared about… was the Dragon Vein.
Trading an old monkey who dared provoke the strong for a new powerhouse on her level—one who could nurture the Dragon Vein with her—was an absolute bargain.
However, for a sudden powerhouse like Uchiha Kirin…
The Sage of Six Paths and the Slug Sage still had many questions.
So, the two joined forces to cast a barrier, enveloping all of Mount Myōboku.
They dismissed the lesser sages and the entire toad population of the mountain.
Only the four great sages remained with Kirin inside the barrier for discussion.
Kirin's sudden rise to power fascinated them.
When it came to matters unrelated to the system, he made no effort to hide the truth.
He revealed that he was born into the Uchiha clan, and that at the age of three, he suddenly foresaw a life-threatening danger. From that moment on, all these strange powers began to manifest…
After some discussion among the four sages, all eyes turned toward the Toad Sage.
The Toad Sage took out a crystal ball and began a prediction in front of everyone.
The result—nothing.
His face twisted with embarrassment.
Then, the Slug Sage proposed an astonishing hypothesis:
Kirin was the reincarnation of a god from the ancient war, his powers still recovering, and his memories yet to awaken.
At this point, the Sage of Six Paths seemed to recall something.
As he stared at Kirin, the face before him began to merge with a vague, suppressed figure in his memories.
He had seen this person before—he was sure of it.
But that memory had been erased by an immensely powerful force.
So, he immediately agreed with the Slug Sage's theory.
It was unexpected—because Kirin's system lacked sufficient power, his simulations had left faint traces in the Sage of Six Paths' memories.
Now, that accidental residue became the key to confirming their theory.
And so, Uchiha Kirin sat back and watched as the sages, using nothing but speculation and imagination, crafted a completely believable identity for him…
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