Kaede finally moved.
He glanced at the clan heads kneeling on the floor and said lightly, "Stand up."
The moment those words left his mouth, Hiashi and the others were instantly overwhelmed with joy.
This meant… Kaede was willing to accept them?
They quickly scrambled to their feet, standing respectfully before him.
"Clan Leader Kaede, from now on, the Hyuga clan will only follow you!"
Kaede had no interest in their pledges. He simply turned to Tsunade.
"You arrange them. I have something to deal with."
With that, his figure vanished instantly.
Seeing this, Tsunade and the others grew more solemn.
Whatever Kaede was going to handle clearly wasn't a small matter.
Even back in the days of Hashirama, nothing had ever moved him like this.
But there were still these clan heads to deal with, so Tsunade kept her composure.
She exhaled softly. "Tell me your current situation… and report all the remaining Konoha remnants you know about."
Hiashi and the others didn't dare hesitate and began reporting everything to her.
…
Far away, before the massive God Tree, a figure examined its impossible existence.
After the shock faded, his brows furrowed.
"Could it be the clan finally noticed something was wrong and sent someone to investigate?"
It was none other than Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, who had once come to the ninja world with Kaguya.
Back then, upon discovering the planet's unusual energy, he had planned to sacrifice Kaguya and plant an unprecedented God Tree.
The planet's energy was so great that even a standard planting could produce three or more ordinary chakra fruits.
But when he was about to make his move, Kaguya turned on him. Caught off guard, Isshiki had half his body devoured by her Ten-Tails and was forced to possess a passing monk to survive to this day.
When Kaede completed the Tailed Beast formation just now, it was the first time Isshiki had been disturbed from his isolation from the ninja world.
So he came here.
His expression was grim. "Tch… of all times, it had to be now."
For over a thousand years, he had been searching for a suitable vessel for reincarnation, but the weak body he currently possessed could not withstand his true power.
After searching in vain for millennia, he had planned to cultivate a perfect vessel, then consume the planet's energy entirely after reincarnation.
If the clan had indeed sent someone and discovered this planet's secret, his plan would be ruined—especially since he couldn't crush a true clan member in his current incomplete state.
"No matter what, I have to meet whoever it is," he decided, forcing himself to calm down before releasing a surge of chakra to declare his presence.
A short while later, Isshiki opened his eyes and looked toward the space disturbance ahead.
Kaede appeared in an instant.
"Not a clansman?!" Isshiki's eyes widened.
In his understanding of this world, he knew Kaguya had been sealed on the moon by her two sons, whose bloodlines had continued to this day, forming various clans.
The man before him felt like one of those descendants—specifically, from the Uchiha clan.
"Where did his God Tree come from?" Isshiki wondered. "The Nine Tailed Beasts are still alive, so it's definitely not Kaguya's."
Kaede studied him with a faint smile.
"I thought it would take some time before we met, but you came to me yourself."
Isshiki narrowed his eyes. "You know who I am?"
"Of course," Kaede said casually. "You're that Ōtsutsuki who got ambushed by Kaguya a thousand years ago, right?"
Isshiki's gaze turned cold. Outwardly refined, he was in truth an arrogant, ruthless man—and Kaede's mocking tone ignited his fury.
He pointed at the God Tree. "What is going on here? A native of this planet couldn't possibly possess something like this!"
Kaede chuckled. "I don't think I need to answer you."
Isshiki's rage deepened. A mere native daring to ignore him?
"Looks like you're quite proud. I'll crush that pride before I question you."
Kaede landed lightly on the ground. "Perfect. My God Tree needs to keep growing, and you—along with your Ten-Tails—will make excellent fertilizer."
In that moment, their auras surged to the limit.
Kaede didn't truly underestimate Isshiki, and Isshiki didn't underestimate Kaede.
Anyone who could possess such an unknown God Tree was bound to hold unfathomable secrets.
Meanwhile, across the ninja world, every strong shinobi felt the pressure from their clash.
Such terrifying chakra—they had only felt something similar during Kaede's battle with Hashirama, but this was even stronger.
"There's another fighter equal to Kaede in the ninja world?!"
Those who sensed it immediately began rushing toward the source.
This battle would decide the fate of the entire world.
(End of Chapter)
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