Amenosubaruboshinomikoto: Gyokkō!
Urashiki continuously shot out small purple orbs from his palms. He intended to heavily injure Shun with this move.
"Your form is only capable of this much." Shun's voice sounded from behind him, cold and disdainful.
Urashiki was startled and quickly turned around, only to find Shun had appeared behind him at some unknown point.
The next second, Shun's black longsword mercilessly slashed towards his wings.
Urashiki wanted to dodge, but Shun was astonishingly fast, he had no time to react.
Crack!
A large section of the white wings' feathers was brutally severed, and blood gushed out like a fountain, staining the desolate wasteland below.
Urashiki plummeted, barely flapping his tattered wings to stabilize himself, his eyes filled with despair and unwillingness.
"Why can't even my Crane Form defeat you? The dignity of the Otsutsuki clan must not be destroyed here!"
Urashiki couldn't accept this fact and activated his ultimate technique.
Amenosubaruboshinomikoto: Ryūgū!
From his palm, he released four-pointed star-shaped purple Chakra, which then rapidly transformed into a giant purple serpent.
The serpent opened its gaping maw, from which it released a massive purplish-red sphere, containing immense energy, as if capable of destroying everything.
"Urashiki, from beginning to end, you are just a joke. Give up your dying struggles."
Shun instantly moved again, avoiding the attack while his black longsword pierced the base of Urashiki's wing.
Thud!
The longsword penetrated the wing, thoroughly scattering the chaotic Chakra within Urashiki's body.
Urashiki let out a mournful shriek. His Crane Form could no longer be maintained, all his feathers fell off, and he reverted to human form, falling heavily to the ground, unable to even lift a finger.
Shun slowly walked up to him, looking down at the disheveled body.
He picked up the heavily injured Urashiki and returned to the Land of Water. Then, he activated his Golden Six Tomoe Rinnegan's Genjutsu, hoping to find information about the Otsutsuki clan from Urashiki's memories.
The next second, fragments of Urashiki's memories flooded into Shun's mind like a tide.
The images showed him acting alongside Kinshiki and Momoshiki, their greedy covetousness for the Ninja World's Chakra, and even a hidden memory about the internal structure of the Otsutsuki clan.
Otsutsuki clan members in luxurious attire sat on a high platform, their Chakra fluctuations far exceeding ordinary people, while Urashiki and other clan members respectfully stood below the platform, in a humble posture.
"So that's how it is."
Shun's gaze slightly narrowed, capturing key information from the memory fragments.
The Otsutsuki clan, just like the Hyuga clan in the Ninja World, had a strict distinction between the Main family Branch family.
The Main Family controlled the core power within the clan and had priority in enjoying the Chakra fruits produced by the God Tree, or pills refined from the God Tree's energy. These treasures could greatly increase Chakra volume and strength, making the combat power of Main Family members far surpass that of Branch Family members.
As for the Branch Family, they performed missions and were even used by the Main Family as "nutrients" for nurturing the God Tree.
Shun's gaze grew even colder, as if it could penetrate Urashiki's body and see the deep-seated humility and longing within him.
Urashiki could be said to be powerful in the Ninja World. But within the Otsutsuki Family, he was merely a humble Branch Family member.
[T/N: In Boruto, Urashiki is a low ranking member of the Main Family, right? In this book, he's from the branch family.]
"I had never expected the Otsutsuki clan to be so cruel internally."
Shun realized that the Otsutsuki Main Family behind Urashiki was the greater threat.
How powerful were those Main Family members who had consumed the God Tree's fruits?
If one day, members of the Otsutsuki Main Family descended upon the Ninja World, then the entire Ninja World would face an unprecedented disaster.
A strong sense of unease welled up in Shun's heart.
He carried Urashiki and opened a spatial gate again.
Now, Urashiki had lost his utility. Handing him over to Kaguya might serve some purpose.
Behind the gate was a desolate Alternate Dimension, its ground covered in cracked patterns, and in the distance, the silhouette of a towering tree.
This was the lesser god tree nurtured on the ancestral planet, now over six hundred meters tall, its trunk so thick it would require dozens of people to embrace, and a faint glow emanated from its branches and leaves.
"Shun, why are you bringing an Otsutsuki here?"
A clear, cold voice sounded from behind the tree, and Kaguya slowly emerged.
Her gaze fell on Urashiki, and a hint of disgust flashed in her eyes. "Judging by his aura, he must be Urashiki."
Shun threw Urashiki in front of Kaguya, his tone cal. "From his memories, I learned the difference between the Otsutsuki Main Family and Branch Family, and I also know that Main Family members are extremely powerful due to the Chakra fruits. Keeping him might lead to future trouble. You have been researching the God Tree for years, perhaps you can find some use for him."
Kaguya walked over to Urashiki, pondering for a moment. "If he is fed to the lesser god tree, it would perfectly accelerate its growth. Although the lesser god tree is now over six hundred meters tall, it hasn't reached the stage of bearing fruit yet. Using him as nourishment is perfectly suitable. I didn't expect an Otsutsuki to arrive so quickly."
Kaguya was silent for a while, her expression becoming somewhat complex. "As for the Main Family... they control the true core of the God Tree. If they truly descend upon the Ninja World, I'm afraid only you and I working together can barely resist them."
Shun squatted down, condensing a Chakra blade on his fingertip, and gently sliced Urashiki's arm. Red blood flowed from the wound, and he collected a portion of the flesh and blood for research. Then, he threw Urashiki towards the lesser god tree.
Urashiki wailed. "No, you can't do this to me!"
Immediately after, his body was tightly enveloped by the lesser god tree. Patterns instantly lit up on the trunk, emitting a dazzling purple glow.
The previously still lesser god tree began to shake violently, its roots continuously extending underground, its trunk growing upwards at a visible speed, and its branches and leaves becoming even more luxuriant. The luminescence grew brighter and brighter, illuminating the entire Alternate Dimension.
After just a few minutes, the shaking gradually stopped.
The height of the lesser god tree had increased from over six hundred meters to over nine hundred meters. Its trunk was nearly twice as thick as before, and even tiny Chakra dew drops began to condense among its branches and leaves, emitting even stronger energy fluctuations.
Kaguya looked at the lesser god tree, gazing at the grown God Tree seedling, and sighed, "If it were the flesh and blood of a Main Family member, the lesser god tree would probably already be bearing fruit. But this is enough. At least it gives us an extra bargaining chip to resist the future Main Family."