When Shūichi used the Flying Thunder God to teleport himself and Obito Uchiha to Shisui Uchiha's side, they found Shisui standing before the Ten-Tails. Nearby, Nagato was still unconscious.
Seeing the two arrive, Shisui's face lit up with surprise and joy. "Shūichi, did you take care of Isshiki Ōtsutsuki?"
Shūichi nodded. "For now, he's sealed."
His gaze then shifted to the Ten-Tails. Shisui explained, "It seems to be in a state of slumber. I tried to control it with Kotoamatsukami earlier, but it didn't work."
Shūichi wasn't surprised. "This is the Ten-Tails, after all—its essence is far too powerful."
Obito asked, "Shūichi, what's the plan?"
Setting down Isshiki's lifeless body, Shūichi declared, "Feed it!"
Both Obito and Shisui were stunned.
Without further explanation, Shūichi plucked out Isshiki's eyes.
"These eyes are quite useful too," he remarked, pocketing them.
Carrying Isshiki's body, Shūichi approached the slumbering Ten-Tails. Using his Rinnegan, he connected to the beast's dormant consciousness.
In the next instant, the Ten-Tails awakened, its crimson nine-tomoe Rinne Sharingan snapping open.
"ROAR!"
The creature let out a guttural bellow that sent fierce winds ripping through the area, forcing Obito and Shisui to shield their faces.
Shūichi hurled Isshiki's body into the creature's maw, which the beast devoured without hesitation.
Immediately, Shūichi activated his ocular technique: God: Nativity of a World of Trees!
The Ten-Tails' tails morphed into massive roots, plunging through the ground and penetrating deep into the earth. Its form began to transform, growing into the Divine Tree. It surged upwards, bursting through the remains of the base and shooting into the sky.
Isshiki's body served as the catalyst, enabling the Ten-Tails to evolve into the Divine Tree.
The ground trembled, and the base collapsed as the massive tree stretched higher. Both Shisui and Obito stood atop their Susano'o forms, watching the towering tree ascend.
Before long, the Divine Tree stopped growing. At its peak, a flower bud began to show signs of blooming.
It was clear, however, that while Isshiki's immense power was significant, it wasn't enough to produce a Chakra Fruit directly. The tree still required vast amounts of natural energy to bear fruit.
To achieve something on the level of the fruit consumed by Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, it might take hundreds or even thousands of years.
But Shūichi had no patience for that.
He thought, If I sacrifice a few more members of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, maybe I could speed up the process.
Yet, he wasn't particularly interested in planting a Divine Tree—especially not in the Shinobi World.
Instead, Shūichi decided: I'll consume this Divine Tree myself!
Descending from the tree's summit, Shūichi landed at its base. In front of Shisui and Obito, he pressed his hand against the Divine Tree's trunk.
In the next moment, space distorted, and the tree began collapsing inward, as though being absorbed into Shūichi's palm.
"This… Is it the same technique Madara used back then?" Obito asked, startled.
Shisui shook his head. "No, I think it's different. Shūichi said he was going to consume the Divine Tree. I believe he means that literally—not becoming its Jinchūriki."
He added, "Remember, Shūichi previously consumed the Divine Tree left behind by Kaguya. Whatever method he uses, it seems to leave no lingering dangers."
Obito nodded, silently hoping that Shūichi wouldn't lose control—such a scenario would spell catastrophe for the Shinobi World.
But his fears proved unnecessary.
Shūichi's body had a level of compatibility that allowed him to fully absorb the Divine Tree without consequence. Just as he had done before with the Ten-Tails, he successfully assimilated its power.
As the Divine Tree vanished, Shūichi's eyes underwent a transformation. His irises became golden, adorned with nine tomoe.
When the assimilation was complete, a pair of horns grew from Shūichi's forehead, much like Madara's. Hovering mid-air, Shūichi grabbed the horns and snapped them off, revealing a circular red mark identical to the Sage of Six Paths'.
The skin at his forehead split open, and a vertical eye slowly revealed itself—a blood-red Rinne Sharingan with six tomoe.
Both Obito and Shisui were stunned.
"Another Rinne Sharingan?!"
Shūichi felt the new eye's power coursing through him and couldn't help but be thrilled. This unexpected gift from the Divine Tree surpassed his expectations.
Suppressing his excitement, Shūichi flew down to join Shisui and Obito.
"Shisui, Obito," he said, "I'm going to transform into the Divine Tree and condense a Chakra Fruit. Your job will be to pluck it when the time comes."
"Chakra… Fruit?" Obito repeated in shock. "Shūichi, don't tell me you've been assimilated by the Divine Tree!"
Shisui, familiar with Shūichi's abilities, asked, "Is it the same technique you used to transform into a Tailed Beast and absorb natural energy?"
Shūichi chuckled. "Exactly. Don't worry about me."
With that, he descended to the ground and performed the Transformation Jutsu.
In an instant, Shūichi became a Divine Tree, rooting himself firmly in the earth.
At the top of the Divine Tree, the bud slowly bloomed, revealing a golden fruit the size of a fist.
Shisui and Obito maneuvered their Susano'o forms to the tree's summit. Looking at the Divine Tree's fruit, Obito said, "Shisui, it's your turn!"
Shisui nodded, dispersing his Susano'o. Obito's Susano'o reached out, catching Shisui in its palm and lifting him to the fruit.
Reaching out quickly, Shisui plucked the golden fruit.
Holding the Divine Tree's fruit in his hands, Shisui instinctively swallowed nervously. He could feel the immense power contained within it.
Faintly, he seemed to hear a voice echoing in his mind.
"Eat it..."
"Eat it!"
Obito noticed Shisui standing frozen, his expression off. Sensing something was wrong, Obito shouted, "Shisui!"
Startled, Shisui snapped out of it, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "This thing… is too strange!"
At that moment, with a poof, the Divine Tree disappeared, and Shūichi appeared in its place.
"Shūichi, you—"
Both Shisui and Obito were taken aback.
Shūichi's golden Rinne Sharingan, adorned with nine tomoe, had transformed into a golden Rinnegan with no tomoe. Meanwhile, the Rinne Sharingan on his forehead had turned into a blood-red Rinnegan without tomoe.
Shūichi smiled. "The process was draining, so my eyes regressed temporarily, but they'll recover soon."
The two sighed in relief. Shisui then said, "Shūichi, this Divine Tree fruit is strange. It feels like it has a will of its own."
Hearing this, Shūichi chuckled. "No, it's not sentient. The fruit's power resonates with your Sharingan, triggering a natural instinct in you to eat it—like a hungry man craving food."
Shisui realized the truth and exhaled in relief. He handed the Divine Tree fruit to Shūichi.
Taking the fruit, Shūichi thought for a moment before saying, "Shisui, you should eat this fruit."
Both Shisui and Obito were stunned. Shisui immediately declined, "This… it's too precious."
"And wouldn't it be more appropriate for someone like Lady Tsunade?"
Obito added, "Shūichi, your lifespan now must rival that of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. But Shizune and the others don't have the kind of power you do. They can't follow your path, so the Divine Tree fruit might be their only option."
"This fruit isn't something you can create at will, is it?"
Shūichi nodded. "It took both my power and Isshiki's to condense this fruit. Creating another would indeed take an immense amount of time."
He continued, "The reason I'm considering giving it to one of you is that I don't plan to wait passively for the Ōtsutsuki Clan to invade again. I need a companion who can join me in taking the fight to the stars."
"What?"
Both Shisui and Obito were shocked.
Shūichi smiled. "I have no interest in planting trees in the Shinobi World. Instead, we'll use the Ōtsutsuki Clan as sacrifices."
"The Ōtsutsuki roam the cosmos, seeking worlds rich in natural energy to plant Divine Trees and harvest their fruits."
"For justice, it's only right that we eliminate them!"
"If we don't, they'll keep invading the Shinobi World."
"And I've never liked being passive."
Shisui and Obito exchanged glances, momentarily unsure how to respond.
Shūichi looked at them seriously. "One of you must be chosen."
"In the current Shinobi World, apart from me, the strongest shinobi are you two and Nagato. Someone needs to remain behind to guard the world from the shadows."
Obito turned to Shisui. "Shisui, you take it. My abilities are better suited for staying here."
Shisui wasn't one to hesitate. After taking a deep breath, he nodded firmly. "Understood!"
Taking the Divine Tree fruit, Shisui opened his mouth and took a bite, devouring it in one gulp.
Then he closed his eyes.
Shūichi could sense Shisui's power surging, his body undergoing a remarkable transformation.
Moments later, Shisui opened his eyes.
Obito, seeing Shisui's transformed eyes, couldn't help but silently exclaim, "As expected, they've evolved..."
Shūichi smiled. "The results are impressive."
At this moment, Shisui's eyes were no longer Mangekyō Sharingan but had transformed into green Rinne Sharingan with three tomoe.
"Thank you, Shūichi!"
Shisui stepped off Obito's Susano'o hand, hovering in the air just like Shūichi.
"I've gained two new eye techniques..."
Shisui reached up, touching his evolved eyes.
Shūichi, intrigued, said, "Let's test them out below."
He descended towards the ground. Obito immediately dispersed his Susano'o and slipped into the Kamui dimension, while Shisui followed Shūichi down.
A moment later, the three stood among the ruins of Isshiki Ōtsutsuki's base.
Shisui's gaze locked onto a massive stone pillar still standing among the debris. Activating his eye technique, he unleashed his power.
Boom!
The pillar exploded, scattering green flames in all directions.
"This is..."
Shūichi blinked at the green flames spreading across the ground, confirming their fiery nature.
But the attack wasn't just about fire—he had also glimpsed a massive spectral object resembling... a ritual pestle? Shūichi wasn't entirely sure.
Obito, observing less detail, muttered, "Is this... a Blaze Release eye technique?"
"The explosive power is certainly impressive."
Shisui grinned. "This technique is called Fire Vajra Sovereign. It's more than just a Blaze Release attack."
As he spoke, green chakra enveloped Shisui, and a fully realized Susano'o rose around him.
Obito immediately noticed something unique: Shisui's Susano'o held a distinct weapon in its left hand—a vajra engulfed in green flames of the Blaze Release.
Boom!
Shisui swung the vajra downward, scattering a cascade of green flames like a celestial display, reducing another section of ruins to a charred crater.
Shūichi hovered a short distance away, laughing. "Shisui, use that attack on me at full strength."
Shisui wasn't worried about harming Shūichi and nodded. "Alright!"
He dispersed his Susano'o, locking his eyes onto the airborne Shūichi before activating his technique.
Obito watched as numerous chakra vajras wrapped in green flames materialized in the air, hurtling towards Shūichi.
The sight immediately reminded him of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack.
Shūichi, observing the dense barrage, had the same thought. Instead of counterattacking, he summoned his golden Susano'o to withstand the assault head-on.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions echoed as cracks appeared across the golden Susano'o, which suddenly shattered with a resounding bang.
Shūichi's Susano'o was far beyond what Obito or even Madara at his peak could achieve.
The fact that Shisui's attack destroyed it demonstrated a power rivaling Kaguya's Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack.
Moreover, the green flames burning and consuming chakra around the area were clearly amplified by the Rinne Sharingan's abilities.
Shūichi remarked, "Impressive power. Now let's try your other eye technique."
Shisui nodded. In the next moment, his figure vanished from Shūichi and Obito's view.
"A space-time technique..."
Obito sensed the spatial fluctuations.
Shūichi felt them too.
Suddenly, a massive Fireball Jutsu appeared behind Shūichi.
He casually absorbed it, but immediately after, a green flame-wrapped vajra struck from above.
Yet, Shisui's presence was still nowhere to be found, as if he had completely disappeared.
Obito squinted. "This attack… it seems to emerge directly from another dimension."
After two strikes, Shisui reappeared, smiling. "This eye technique is called Great Yomi Passage."
"It allows me to enter Yomi, a parallel realm to the physical world, and launch attacks from there. In Yomi, enemy attacks cannot reach me."
The physical world is referred to as "the realm of the living," while Yomi is akin to the underworld.
Shūichi laughed heartily. "With this, Shisui, you've essentially become invincible."
"Though the Ōtsutsuki Clan members generally possess space-time abilities, in a one-on-one battle, your technique gives you a significant edge."
(End of Chapter)
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